For example, in the US the Justice Department just “sued” the state of Texas over the abortion ban. Typically I think of “sueing” for monetary compensation when someone has wronged you in some way, so what does it mean in this context?
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To sue someone is to bring a complaint of wrongdoing before the courts to adjudicate. It need not imply only financial restitution.
In the US, the highest law of the land is the Federal or US Constitution and it is a matter of principle that no government can make laws that do not abide by it. In this case, it appears that the DOJ is asking that the State law be ruled unconstitutional and therefore, unenforceable.
When the DOJ takes action, it takes place in the Federal (not State) court system. In this case the case will initially be heard in District Court (the lowest court in the Federal system) and likely go on to the US Court of Appeals and then possibly to the US Supreme Court (the highest court in the Federal System).
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