Texas law allowing immigration arrests blocked hours after Supreme Court approves it

A Republican-backed Texas law that would have allowed state law enforcement agencies to arrest people suspected of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally was blocked again by an appeals court on Wednesday, just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the law to take effect.

The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled late Tuesday night to halt enforcement of the law ahead of oral arguments on the issue scheduled for Wednesday.

The law in the case repeatedly casts uncertainty over the future of the controversial measure implemented by Texas’ Republican governor, Greg Abbott. The law has been opposed by President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration, which says it will hinder the federal government from enforcing immigration laws.

The law, known as SB 4, signed by Abbott in December, empowers state law enforcement to arrest people suspected of entering the United States illegally, giving local officials powers long granted to the federal government. Abbott said the law was needed because of Biden’s failure to enforce federal laws that criminalize illegal entry or re-entry.

Republicans have harshly criticized the Democratic president for his handling of the record number of immigrants caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Abbott and other Republicans favored the restrictive policies of former President Donald Trump, the party’s candidate challenging Biden in the Nov. 5 U.S. election.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Texas law would “sow chaos and chaos at our southern border.”

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit in January to block the measure, which was scheduled to take effect on March 5. The government said the law interferes with the U.S. government’s authority to regulate immigration and violates the 2012 U.S. Constitution and federal law. Supreme Court precedent.

Texas law makes it a crime to illegally enter or re-enter Texas, with penalties ranging from 180 days in jail to 20 years in prison. It requires a Texas magistrate to order migrants to return to Mexico, with those who refuse to comply subject to prison sentences of up to 20 years.

However, Mexico said on Tuesday it would not accept deportations from Texas.

U.S. District Judge David Ezra in Texas sided with the Biden administration on Feb. 29, agreeing to initially block Texas officials from enforcing the law, saying the law “threatens the need for American The basic idea of ​​policing immigration with one voice.”

But the Fifth Circuit suspended Ezra’s ruling and ordered the law to take effect on March 10, prompting the administration to file an emergency request to the Supreme Court.

On March 4, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito stayed the 5th Circuit’s ruling, halting the law from taking effect and giving the justices more time to consider the matter.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines, allowing the law to take effect pending a ruling by the 5th Circuit.
The 5th Circuit panel voted 2-1 to lift the administrative stay pending another argument over whether to stay the lower court injunction pending Texas’ appeal.

The majority in the appeals court order includes Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Priscilla Richman, appointed by Republican former President George W. Bush, and U.S. Circuit Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez, appointed by Biden . U.S. Circuit Judge Andrew Oldham, a conservative appointed by Republican former President Donald Trump, dissented.