Mexico worries about discrimination under new Texas immigration law, tensions with U.S.

Mexico has filed a court brief supporting the U.S. Justice Department’s fight against a Republican-backed Texas law that would empower state authorities to arrest and prosecute people suspected of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

The law, known as Senate Bill 4, would make it a crime to illegally enter or re-enter Texas from a foreign country and allow state judges to order offenders to leave the country, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. who refused to comply. It has been blocked by a federal judge and is currently on appeal.

“Mexico is deeply concerned that SB 4 will be applied in a discriminatory manner and is concerned that its enforcement will result in the inappropriate harassment, detention, deportation, and criminalization of Mexican citizens and individuals of Latinx appearance,” the document states.

Critics of the measure point out that immigrants crossing the border could be charged with illegal entry or re-entry under U.S. federal law, and immigration advocates say state laws could encourage racial profiling.

Dozens of migrants broke through fences and barbed wire on Thursday, knocking out some Texan troops in El Paso, Texas, after waiting on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande, Reuters witnesses said.

Witnesses said the group made it past the military to an area of ​​the border wall where they could be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that by 3 p.m., the migrants had been “removed from the scene” and the “situation is now under control.”

According to internal CBP statistics, approximately 139,000 immigrants have been apprehended in the area surrounding El Paso since October 1, 2023, making it one of the busiest areas on the border.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has taken a series of actions to block crossings, saying Democratic President Joe Biden has not adequately secured the border.

The Biden administration said some of the actions in Texas interfered with immigration enforcement, which has historically been the purview of the federal government.

Mexico highlighted its concerns about the potential impact of the Texas law on U.S.-Mexico trade and commercial relations and Mexico’s relationship with the state.

“If SB 4 is fully implemented, Mexican citizens, regardless of their immigration status and country of residence, will have reason to fear visiting Texas, engaging in commercial trucking through Texas, or riding rail across Texas. Texas, whether for work or leisure, fear they will be subject to unlawful police scrutiny and detention,” Mexico said.