PATROL Act

This bill would stop the U.S. Department of Justice from suing a state for putting up border barriers, even if those barriers are in or over rivers and other navigable waters. It covers things like walls, fences, floating buoys, bridges, dams, or other structures used to secure the border. It also applies to lawsuits that are already in progress when the law takes effect .

In plain terms, it gives border states more freedom to install physical barriers for security without facing certain federal lawsuits tied to rules about building in or over U.S. waters, ports, and harbors.

Key points

• Who is affected: Border states; communities near the border and along rivers and other navigable waters.
• What changes: DOJ could not bring or maintain certain civil actions against states for building or placing border barriers, including in navigable waters; this includes ongoing cases at the time the law starts.
• What counts as a barrier: Walls, fences, and floating buoys, and similar structures used to secure the border; also includes structures like bridges, causeways, dams, or dikes that affect navigable waters when used for border security .