Washington DC - The US Department of Justice has launched a lawsuit against the state of Texas and Governor Gregg Abbott regarding their "unconstitutional" new immigration law.

The DOJ announced the suit in a press release on Wednesday, seeking to challenge Senate Bill 4 – a law signed by Abbott last month that grants all officers in the state the authority to arrest migrants and allows judges to order migrants out of the country.

The DOJ argued that "The Constitution assigns the federal government the authority to regulate immigration," not state legislatures.

"Because SB 4 is preempted by federal law and violates the US Constitution, the Justice Department seeks a declaration that SB 4 is invalid and an order preliminarily and permanently enjoining the state from enforcing the law," the release said.

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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Texas, and Texas Civil Rights Project filed a similar lawsuit in late December over the bill, also describing it as unconstitutional and a breach of federal immigration law.

Abbott took to social media to share the news, arguing that President Biden is suing him "because I signed a law making it illegal for an illegal immigrant to enter or attempt to enter Texas directly from a foreign nation."

"I like my chances," Abbott said, adding that Texas is "the only government in America trying to stop illegal immigration."