- A federal judge in Austin will evaluate whether Texas can enforce a new law that gives police broad powers to arrest immigrants suspected of entering the United States illegally.
- The hearing will be the first legal challenge to Texas’ new immigration law, which is scheduled to go into effect March 5.
- The Justice Department’s lawsuit against Texas is part of a variety of legal disputes between the state and President Biden’s administration.
A federal judge will consider Thursday whether Texas can enforce a new law that gives police broad powers to arrest immigrants suspected of entering the United States illegally and gives local judges the power to order their deportation.
The hearing in Austin is the first legal test of what opponents are calling the state’s most dramatic attempt to crack down on immigration since a 2010 Arizona law that was partially struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Become. Texas’ new law is scheduled to go into effect on March 5th.
The Justice Department lawsuit is one of several legal battles with President Joe Biden over how far Texas can go to stop migrants from crossing the border.
More than 40 members of Congress sign brief to assist Texas on immigration issues with Biden administration
It’s unclear how quickly U.S. District Judge David Ezra, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, will issue a ruling.
Migrants who crossed the Rio Grande River into the United States from Mexico wait to be processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Eagle Pass, Texas, Oct. 19, 2023. On February 15, 2024, a federal judge will consider whether Texas can enforce a new law that gives police broad powers to arrest immigrants on charges of entering the U.S. illegally and gives local judges the power to order deportation. It’s planned. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Tensions have been brewing between the Biden administration and Texas for months over who can control the border and how. The Justice Department also sued Texas over the floating barrier on the Rio Grande, defending the ability of U.S. Border Patrol agents to cut and remove miles of razor wire the state had installed along the border.
Republican governors across the country support Mr. Abbott’s efforts. A heavy Texas National Guard presence in the border city of Eagle Pass has denied Border Patrol agents access to the riverside park. Officials had previously used the park for surveillance and patrol, as well as processing migrants who crossed the Rio Grande into the continental United States.
Republican governors gather in Texas to support Gov. Abbott’s border security measures
The new measure will allow Texas law enforcement officers to arrest people suspected of entering the country illegally. If taken into custody, he must agree to a Texas judge’s order to leave the United States or face a misdemeanor charge of illegal entry. Immigrants who do not leave the country could be arrested again and charged with more serious charges.
Civil rights groups say the new law, known as Senate Bill 4, could lead to civil rights violations and lead to racial profiling.
Republicans have defended the law, arguing it would likely only be enforced near the U.S.-Mexico border. They also argue that because the statute of limitations for misdemeanor charges is two years, they cannot target immigrants who have been in the United States for a long time.
