A legal situation surrounding the barriers put up on the Rio Grande by the government to prevent people from crossing from Mexico has made the issue of immigration in the U.S. even more complex and challenging.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott removed some of those barriers earlier, which resulted in an order from the federal government for the state to remove them altogether. The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Texas for its refusal of that removal.

A study filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of the lawsuit revealed that most of the buoys were located on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, known as the Rio Bravo in Mexico. In addition, the anchors of the buoys were also positioned on the Mexican side of the river. The Justice Department reported that there were unauthorized movements and construction on the river, including the repositioning of a concrete anchor closer to the U.S. bank. These actions by Texas were deemed harmful not only to federal laws governing the river, but also to the relationship between the United States and Mexico.

According to an NBC News story, “A document filed by the Department of Justice in its lawsuit against Texas over buoys the state placed in the Rio Grande to deter migrants says that 787 feet of them are in Mexico. Another 208 feet are in the U.S. The section of buoys in U.S. waters are upstream, and the rest are downstream, the document states”.

The Rio Grande serves as the international border between the United States and Mexico, being used for legal and illegal crossings between the two countries. The buoys in question were positioned between Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Mexico. Gov. Abbott justified moving the buoys with the intent to ensure safety, but the action faced controversy and protests from groups opposed to his immigration control system called “Operation Lone Star”.

“Abbott, a Republican, has blamed President Joe Biden for spikes in the number of people arriving at the border or who have crossed it illegally, although there were spikes in migration numbers during the Trump administration and illegal border crossings dipped in June”, according to the same publication.

The situation is complex, involving issues of international law, border and immigration. The scheduled court hearing is expected to review the allegations and determine whether the federal government will succeed in its claims against the state of Texas regarding the barriers on the Rio Grande.