what happens when one government entity “sues” another one?

Question

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?

In: 3

Answer 1

In this case the US Justice Dept is suing Texas to block its controversial new abortion law.

In this case, the DOJ believes the law to be unconstitutional and is suing the state on that basis. Instead of money, the DOJ is seeking an injunction that blocks the state of Texas from enforcing the law.