Assessing Troubling Reports: Inhumane Treatment and Border Control Allegations Demand Transparency

The Justice Department is assessing the situation along the Texas-Mexico border after reports emerged that Texas troopers were instructed to push back migrants into the Rio Grande and deny them water, which the DOJ called "troubling." While this falls short of opening an investigation, an assessment could be the first step towards one. The Biden administration has criticized Texas Governor Greg Abbott's actions at the border, including transporting migrants to Democratic-led cities without coordination. The White House called Abbott's recent actions a "political stunt" and "shameful." Internal discussions about legal action against Texas have been ongoing since last year, and the state is already facing a lawsuit over the installation of a marine floating barrier. It remains unclear whether the administration will take legal action against Texas.