Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says he may sue the federal government over the costs incurred from housing thousands of undocumented children detained on the U.S.-Mexico border.
“The State of Texas is exploring any and all options, including litigation, to address the crisis our federal government has created by not living up to [its] constitutional responsibility,” attorney general spokesman Jerry Strickland said, The Houston Chronicle reported.
“If the federal government is unwilling to secure the border, the State of Texas will be forced to resort to litigation to recoup the costs incurred to respond to this crisis,” he said.
The comments come after Mr. Abbott’s request to the federal government for $30 million in border enforcement went unanswered.
It wouldn’t be the first time Texas has filed a suit against the federal government over border-enforcement costs, The Chronicle notes.
In 1994, Attorney General Dan Morales sued but failed to recoup $5 billion for services provided to illegal immigrants living in Texas.
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne is also considering legal action against the administration, filing a cease and desist letter last month that demands the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stop transporting adult immigrants and their children from Texas to Arizona.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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