As much as 80% of the floating barrier Republican Texas governor Greg Abbott constructed in the Rio Grande River to stop migrants from crossing the border is actually located in Mexico, possibly making it an illegal annexation of land, CBS News reports.
The barrier, which is believed to be responsible for at least two deaths according to officials, was surveyed by the US International Boundary and Water Commission and their Mexican counterparts for a lawsuit the Biden Administration filed against Abbott and Texas over the barrier, which the Administration says violates several federal laws.
“A majority of the floating barrier (approximately 787 feet of the 995-foot buoy chain) is located within the territory of Mexico,” the Justice Department said in the court filing.