Citing a rise in COVID-19 infections, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) issued an Executive Order on Wednesday, directing the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) authority to stop “any vehicle” in suspicion of transporting “migrants who pose a risk of carrying COVID-19 into Texas communities.”
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) filed a complaint against the state of Texas and its governor, arguing that the recent COVID-19-related EO subverted the federal government’s authority.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland (D), who heads the DoJ, issued a memo to Abbott on Thursday, warning the Texas Governor that he must “immediately rescind” his “dangerous and unlawful” EO, or face the US government as it “intends to pursue all appropriate legal remedies to ensure that Texas does not interfere with the functions of the federal government.”
Garland, who heads the DoJ, argued that Abbott’s Wednesday EO violates a number of federal laws and cannot be enforced by the state of Texas against federal officials, or private companies contracted to work with the federal government.
“Among other harms, the Order would exacerbate and prolong overcrowding in facilities and shelters and obstruct the federal government’s arrangements with state, local, and non-governmental partners to ensure that released individuals are transported for appropriate COVID-19 testing to address public health concerns.”
The Texas Governor signaled in his response that he would not rescind the EO, arguing that the Biden administration lacks a fundamental understanding of what is “truly happening at the Texas-Mexico border.”
Using the AG’s words, Abbott claimed that it is the federal government that is actively “jeopardizing the health and safety of Texans on a daily basis by refusing to follow the law” and use the full authority of Title 42 of the United States Code Section 265, which allows immigration officials to deny entry to undocumented individuals if it is believed “there is a serious danger to the introduction of [a contagious] disease into the United States.”
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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