This bill allows states to build barriers along their borders to prevent illegal immigration without facing lawsuits from the federal government. It gives states more control over their border security measures.
Preventing Aliens Through Rivers or Land Act or the PATROL Act This bill prohibits the Department of Justice (DOJ) from bringing certain civil actions against a state for building a physical structure impacting navigable waters along the U.S. border for security purposes. Specifically, the DOJ is prohibited from bringing an action for (1) the construction of a bridge, causeway, dam, dike, or other structure over or in a port, harbor, or other navigable water of the United States without federal approval; or (2) the creation of any obstruction to the navigable capacity of waters of the United States without federal approval.
