WILLIAM BRANGHAM: There are several new legal fights brewing over migration across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Today, a federal judge blocked the Biden administration's attempt to limit asylum seekers after several immigrants rights groups sued, arguing that Biden's policy was unfair and a repeat of the Trump era policy.

Separately, the Department of Justice is suing the state of Texas for putting floating barriers on the Rio Grande River to try and deter people from crossing from Mexico.

The DOJ says Texas failed to get authorization for the buoys and that they pose a risk to public safety.

Texas' Republican Governor Greg Abbott shot back, writing: "Mr. President see you in court."

To dive into the latest, we are joined by Texas Tribune reporter Uriel Garcia.

Uriel, thank you so much for being here.

What is the argument that the Department of Justice is making here?

URIEL GARCIA, The Texas Tribune: What the DOJ is arguing is that the Rio Grande is an international border, and for any states who want to implement any kind of barrier on international waters, it needs the federal government's permission to do so.

And, in turn, like I said, it's an international border that's shared with Mexico.

So Mexico would have to be involved in those talks as well.

Mexico has also filed a complaint and is investigating if Texas violated any sort of international laws or agreements between Mexico and the U.S.. WILLIAM BRANGHAM: And, again, people who might look at that video and see those floating buoys.

It's not totally clear how they stop people from crossing.

What is the governor arguing those things actually do?

And why is he putting them in the water?

URIEL GARCIA: Well it's -- something to note is that we're talking about the Texas-Mexico border being about 1,200 miles.

And those buoys are in a very small section of the border.

It's about, I believe, about 1,000 feet.

And so people can cross around it, but for the migrants who are crossing through Eagle Pass are encountering these buoys.

And what it's supposed to do is basically make it difficult for migrants to swim across the Rio Grande.

And, of course, if it makes it more difficult, we're talking about a very consequential thing, which is migrants dying in the Rio Grande.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: This also comes after, about a week ago, we saw this leaked memo that was urging Texas State Troopers to treat migrants coming across in some truly inhumane ways and using barbed wire, including pushing some of those people back into the water, even though there might be children in those groups.

Remind us again what else that memo might have said and what the impact of that has been.

URIEL GARCIA: It was The Houston Chronicle who first reported this.

And we were able to see those e-mails ourselves.

It was an e-mail that a DPS trooper who works as a medic had told his superiors or his bosses, basically, that he was concerned about some of the tactics that -- or some of the orders that Troopers were given.

Among the orders was to deny water to some of the migrants who were waiting already on the riverbank something American side.

And, in one case, the e-mails say that Troopers were ordered in one case to push migrants into the -- back into the water, which included children there.

There were other cases -- the e-mails also detailed other instances in which a pregnant woman who was having a miscarriage was entangled in some of these wires as well, and a child had his leg broken as he was trying to swim around some of the wires that were actually in the river.

So, the e-mails provided very specific examples, but also alluded to potential inhumane orders, as the e-mails say, that were given to the Troopers.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: And has there been any blowback to this, to this revelation?

URIEL GARCIA: Yes.

Shortly after that reporting, DPS told The Texas Tribune that they have opened up an investigation to determine if the -- if these allegations from these Troopers are true or false.

And, at the same time, DPS has been on a P.R.

campaign, tweeting out videos and pictures and sending out e-mails detailing cases in which Troopers have been helping migrants who are dehydrated or need medical attention.

So they're on the defensive.

At the same time, the governor has defended his policies, but has denied that there have not been -- there have not been any orders to deny water or pushed migrants back into the Rio Grande.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I want to talk about this judge's order knocking down the Biden asylum policy.

Remind us what Biden's policy was, and what the judge said about it.

URIEL GARCIA: The Biden administration policy, what it said is that it required migrants to seek asylum in a third country before trying to seek asylum in the U.S.

If they didn't seek asylum in third country, they would most likely be denied asylum if they were seeking those protections in the U.S. And, today, a judge, as you said, struck down that policy.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I understand that this is going to be appealed and may go up through several other courts.

In the meantime, though, does this change things for people who are waiting on the other side of the U.S. border, hoping to appeal for asylum into the U.S.?

URIEL GARCIA: Well, at least for the next two weeks, as the district judge said, he will keep the policy in place.

We will see how the appeals court decides.

But, for now, the status quo stays the same.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: All right, Uriel Garcia of The Texas Tribune, thank you so much for being here and sharing your reporting.

URIEL GARCIA: Thank you for inviting me.