Greg Abbott defies White House warning on floating floating barriers in Rio Grande

Texas governor Greg Abbott says he will continue deploying floating border barriers in the Rio Grande River, despite a warning from the Justice Department last week it might sue the state for overstepping its jurisdiction. ‘Texas will see you in court, Mr President,’ the Republican governor wrote in a letter Monday to President Biden, claiming the Democrat’s border policies left him ‘no other choice’ but for Texas to build military-style defences along the US-Mexico border. ‘All of this is happening because you have violated your constitutional obligation to defend the States against invasion through faithful execution of federal laws,’ Mr Abbott added. In mid-July, the state neared completion of a $1m, 1,000-foot wall of buoys and netting across the Rio Grande, claiming it would deter illegal immigration outside of ports of entry. The effort has proved extremely controversial. In addition to warnings from the federal government, Mexico said it is investigating whether the wall violates international treaties surrounding the border. The governor has also been sued by a local man named Jessie Fuentes, who argues the state has deprived him of his livelihood as a kayak guide and is acting outside of its authority over an international boundary line. ‘You’ve taken a beautiful waterway and you’ve converted it into a war zone,’ Mr Fuentes recently told The Independent . This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information .