Texas Governor Greg Abbott Signs Order Prompting Lawsuit From DOJ

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order on Wednesday targeting the transportation of migrants and directing Texas Department of Public Safety to stop any vehicle it finds suspicious. The order is framed as a public health measure to address the Coronavirus which is surging in the state, though Abbott is opposed to new mask mandates or requirements for vaccines. Abbott has repeatedly tried to link the rise of Covid-19 cases to migration but stalled efforts from the Biden administration to provide federal funds for Covid-19 tests for migrants released from custody. The order also prompted Attorney General Merrick Garland to threaten legal action against the governor calling his order “both dangerous and unlawful”. Garland said it violates federal law ‘in numerous respects’ and warned it’s implications, saying that the state has no authority to interfere with U.S. immigration enforcement. A letter written by Garland states that “the order would jeopardize the health and safety of non-citizens in federal government custody, federal law enforcement personnel and their families, and our communities. In a statement yesterday Abbott said he would fight any effort from the Justice Department.