Greg Abbott - Gregory Wayne Abbott, former TX AG, now 48th Governor of Texas

[Gregg]

Borders are not a natural thing. The Native Americans kind of had that one right, that we don't really have the right to say "this is mine" about things that are bigger than us and will outlive us.

[Annrc]

I don't to wait. I want them to burn now!

Ditto.

[raison de arizona]

Feds are threatening to sue regarding the Rio Grande barrier if it's not removed by Monday afternoon.

The letter: https://www.washingtonpost.com/document ... 0f416c.pdf

► Show Spoiler

U.S. Department of Justice
Environment and Natural Resources Division
Assistant Attorney General Telephone (202) 514-2701
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Facsimile (202) 514-0557
Washington, DC 20530
July 20, 2023
The Honorable Greg Abbott
Governor of Texas
Office of the Governor
State Insurance Building
1100 San Jacinto
Austin, TX 78701
The Honorable Angela Colmenero
Interim Attorney General of Texas
Office of the Attorney General
300 West 15th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Re: Notice of Prospective Filing of Legal Action Regarding Unlawful Activities in
Rio Grande River
Dear Governor Abbott and Attorney General Colmenero:
We write to inform you pursuant to the Justice Manual, J.M. § 1-10.100, that the United
States intends to file legal action in relation to the State of Texas’s unlawful construction of a
floating barrier in the Rio Grande River. The State of Texas’s actions violate federal law, raise
humanitarian concerns, present serious risks to public safety and the environment, and may
interfere with the federal government’s ability to carry out its official duties.
On or before July 12, 2023, and continuing to the present, Texas and its agents placed a
floating barrier in the Rio Grande River near the Camino Real International Bridge, Eagle Pass,
Texas. The floating barrier violates section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, 33 U.S.C. § 403,
which prohibits the creation of any obstruction to the navigable capacity of waters of the United
States, and further prohibits building any structure in such waters without authorization from the
United States Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”). Accordingly, a Department of the Army
permit is required for the installation of structures or work in or affecting navigable waters of the
United States. See id.; 33 C.F.R. § 322.3(a). The floating barrier at issue here is a structure that
obstructs the navigable capacity of the Rio Grande River, which is a navigable water of the
United States within the meaning of the Rivers and Harbors Act. Texas does not have
authorization from the Corps to install the floating barrier and did not seek such authorization
before doing so.
-2-
Texas’s unauthorized construction of the floating barrier is a prima facie violation of the
Rivers and Harbors Act. This floating barrier poses a risk to navigation, as well as public safety,
in the Rio Grande River, and it presents humanitarian concerns. Thus, we intend to seek
appropriate legal remedies, which may include seeking injunctive relief requiring the removal of
obstructions or other structures in the Rio Grande River.
As provided by the Justice Manual, we welcome the opportunity to have a discussion
between our leadership and Texas’s leadership concerning this prospective litigation. If Texas is
interested in having such a discussion, please contact Matthew Littleton at 202-514-4760 or
matthew.littleton@usdoj.gov. If we do not receive a response by 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time on
July 24, 2023, indicating your commitment to expeditiously remove the floating barrier and
related structures, the United States intends to file legal action.
Sincerely,
Todd Kim Jaime Esparza
Assistant Attorney General United States Attorney
Western District of Texas
Cc (by email):
Brent Webster, First Assistant Attorney General, State of Texas
Gardner Pate, Chief of Staff, Office of Texas Governor
Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Army (Civil Works)
Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Craig R. Schmauder, Deputy General Counsel (IECW), U.S. Department of the Army
David R. Cooper, Chief Counsel, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

[Kendra]

Bring it on.

[keith]

First, I think the contact details for Mr. Littleton should have been redacted. Is this a 'doxing' attempt? Is it intended that he be flooded with crap so that the Texas reply can be lost in the shuffle and they can whine about it later when the Army moves in to dismantle this abomination?

Second, I'm surprised but glad that the DOJ Environment division reads Fogbow and accepted my arguments about why this crap cannot be allowed to stand

[Dave from down under]

Keith - Just admit it that you drafted this letter..

[raison de arizona]

‘We Will See You in Court, Mr. President’: Texas Governor Readies for Battle With DOJ over Rio Grande ‘Floating Barrier’

The Department of Justice plans to sue Texas over the state’s construction of floating devices in the Rio Grande River intended to obstruct the path of illegal migrants from easily entering the country from the Southern border.

“Texas has the sovereign authority to defend our border, under the U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution,” the governor tweeted on Friday following the news. “We have sent the Biden Administration numerous letters detailing our authority, including the one I hand-delivered to President Biden earlier this year.”

“The tragic humanitarian crisis on the border was created because of Biden’s refusal to secure the border. His open border policies encourage migrants to risk their lives crossing illegally through the Rio Grande, instead of safely and legally over a bridge.”

“Texas is stepping up to address this crisis. We will continue to deploy every strategy to protect Texans and Americans — and the migrants risking their lives. We will see you in court, Mr. President.”

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/we- ... g-barrier/

[pipistrelle]

What are these "open border policies"? I don't think I've seen an example. Do "open border policies" help catch all that fentanyl?

[raison de arizona]

[Ben-Prime]

‘We Will See You in Court, Mr. President’: Texas Governor Readies for Battle With DOJ over Rio Grande ‘Floating Barrier’

“Texas has the sovereign authority to defend our border, under the U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution,” the governor tweeted on Friday following the news. “We have sent the Biden Administration numerous letters detailing our authority, including the one I hand-delivered to President Biden earlier this year.”

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/we- ... g-barrier/

Now, IANAL, of course, but if I'm understanding their argument, it comes down to the fact that the U.S. Constitution says that the Federal Government shall secure the borders against invasion, and because *they* consider illegal immigration to meet the definition of an invasion and because *they* consider the Federales to have failed to secure the border, somehow magically they gain the sovereign power to do so? Am I missing some actual logic or evidence here or is there simply none?

[Dave from down under]

That's about it.. Abbot ruler of the universe..

[bob]

If Abbott were smart, he'll file first, seeking declaratory relief, in the anti-immigration judge's courthouse.

[Gregg]

What are these "open border policies"? I don't think I've seen an example. Do "open border policies" help catch all that fentanyl?

That started a border crisis on or after January 21, 2021. Because not a single dirty foreigner ever snuck in before that.

[Suranis]

Why did 2019 have the record number for Border Crossings up to that time then?

[RTH10260]

The Deep State undermined the Great Chinese Wall inspiration, protection against the hordes of the north south ...

[raison de arizona]

Revolting report from the Houston Chronicle: Brace for the BOMBSHELL.

To stop migrants from crossing the border, Gov. Greg Abbott has resorted to truly barbaric measures, issuing INHUMANE directives with very specific targets: Texas troopers have been ordered to push small children (including infant babies) into the Rio Grande, and refuse water to asylum seekers — in extreme heat.

According to the Houston Chronicle, an unnamed Department of Public Safety trooper sent an email to superiors in which critical concerns were raised, including the following dire warning: “I believe we have stepped over a line into the inhumane."

The alarmed trooper wrote of miles of “traps" of razor wire-wrapped barrels that have been set in the river in Eagle Pass to keep migrants from reaching land, but ultimately increase risks of death by drowning. The trooper reported the case of a mother and her two children who drowned earlier this month due solely to the razor-wrapped barrel traps. In another horrifying case, a pregnant woman was simultaneously miscarrying and bleeding out as she was trapped in the razor wire.

[neeneko]

Isn't creating hazards that result in death illegal? I got in trouble for one of my gutters hanging oddly, 20 feet from the property line, over a structure, because it was 'dangerous'. If Abbott is creating hazards that are killing people, there really should be some jail time in his future.

[pipistrelle]

Isn't creating hazards that result in death illegal? I got in trouble for one of my gutters hanging oddly, 20 feet from the property line, over a structure, because it was 'dangerous'. If Abbott is creating hazards that are killing people, there really should be some jail time in his future.

And the people who are "just following orders."

[Dave from down under]

Individuals who endanger people can be arrested

Politicians who endanger people can be re-elected

[raison de arizona]

Abbott is sued.

Justice Department sues to force Texas to remove floating barriers in Rio Grande

The US Department of Justice is suing the state of Texas over its use of floating barriers in the Rio Grande, which Gov. Greg Abbott has argued is intended to deter migrants from crossing into the state from Mexico.

The Justice Department is seeking an injunction to bar Texas from building additional barriers in the river and asking a court to order the state to take the existing barriers down at its own expense.

In the lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in the Western District of Texas, the department alleges that Texas and Abbott, a Republican, violated the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act by building a structure in US water without permission from United States Army Corps of Engineers.

The lawsuit further alleges that the floating barriers “constitute an unauthorized obstruction to the navigable capacity of waters of the United States.”

“We allege that Texas has flouted federal law by installing a barrier in the Rio Grande without obtaining the required federal authorization,” Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement. “This floating barrier poses threats to navigation and public safety and presents humanitarian concerns. Additionally, the presence of the floating barrier has prompted diplomatic protests by Mexico and risks damaging US foreign policy.”

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/politics ... r-barriers

[raison de arizona]

The lawsuit: https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/ ... -_3_-1.pdf

[raison de arizona]

Florida decimates its educational system, Texas: Hold my beer.

Texas A&M suspended professor accused of criticizing Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in lecture
The professor, an expert on the opioids crisis, was placed on paid administrative leave and investigated, raising questions about the extent of political interference in higher education, particularly in health-related matters.

Joy Alonzo, a respected opioid expert, was in a panic.

The Texas A&M University professor had just returned home from giving a routine lecture on the opioid crisis at the University of Texas Medical Branch when she learned a student had accused her of disparaging Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during the talk.

In the few hours it took to drive from Galveston, the complaint had made its way to her supervisors, and Alonzo’s job was suddenly at risk.

“I am in a ton of trouble. Please call me!” she wrote to Chandler Self, the UTMB professor who invited her to speak.

Alonzo was right to be afraid. Not only were her supervisors involved, but so was Chancellor John Sharp, a former state comptroller who now holds the highest-ranking position in the Texas A&M University System, which includes 11 public universities and 153,000 students. And Sharp was communicating directly with the lieutenant governor’s office about the incident, promising swift action.

Less than two hours after the lecture ended, Patrick’s chief of staff had sent Sharp a link to Alonzo’s professional bio.

Shortly after, Sharp sent a text directly to the lieutenant governor: “Joy Alonzo has been placed on administrative leave pending investigation re firing her. shud [sic] be finished by end of week.”

The text message was signed “jsharp.”

For free speech advocates, health experts and students, Texas A&M’s investigation of Alonzo was a shocking demonstration of how quickly university leaders allow politicians to interfere in classroom discussions on topics in which they are not experts — and another example of increasing political involvement from state leaders in how Texas universities are managed.

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/25 ... n-patrick/

[neeneko]

Bleh.

With all the talk over the decades of schools being all about liberal indoctrination, social engineering, and political correctness, it is not surprising to see conservatives trying to use them exactly that way. It is kinda like how the people who rant about lgbt being pedophiles tend to be (or shield) child abusers... they claim others are doing what they believe is the right thing for them to do because they can not picture others doing differently, only being differnt.

[raison de arizona]

And they wonder about "students are behind on reading levels, especially in 4th grade." I'm sure closing the library will help with reading levels.

HISD to eliminate librarians, turn libraries into discipline centers at 28 campuses

Houston Independent School District will be eliminating librarian positions at 28 schools this upcoming year and converting the libraries into ‘Team Centers” where kids with behavioral issues will be sent, the district announced.

This comes as part of the new superintendent Mike Miles reform program, New Education System (NES). Currently, there are a total of 85 schools that have joined Miles’ program, and of those, 28 campuses will lose their librarians. The district said they will have the opportunity to transition to other roles within the district.

The remaining 57 NES schools’ librarians will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, according to the district.

Retired HISD Teacher in Charge of Library, Lisa Robinson, believes the library is full of some of the greatest stories ever told.

“It was such a joy to help them find the perfect book,” said Robinson.

She said those stories are now ripped to shreds.

“My heart is just broken for these children that are in the NES schools that are losing their librarians,” said Robinson.

https://www.click2houston.com/news/loca ... -campuses/

[AndyinPA]

I am nearly at a loss for words.