Supreme Court prolongs halt on Texas immigration law enforcement
The Supreme Court Extends Stay on Controversial Texas Immigration Law
The Supreme Court has extended an administrative stay on a contentious Texas immigration law, granting the state the authority to prosecute illegal immigrants amid an unprecedented crisis at the southern border.
The legislation, known as SB4, was scheduled to go into effect on Wednesday, but a previous stay from the Supreme Court delayed its implementation. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has now extended the stay until March 18.
JUST IN — Justice Samuel Alito extends the administrative stay preventing Texas from enforcing the SB4 immigration law through Monday, March 18.
Texas will continue to be blocked from arresting and jailing migrants under SB4.
The law was previously set to take effect tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/NFuvNnv2sC
— Camilo Montoya-Galvez (@camiloreports) March 12, 2024
The SB4 legislation would grant Texas officials the power to prosecute illegal immigrants for unlawfully crossing the border, allowing judges to order them to return to Mexico if convicted. Those who refuse to return could face charges of a Class B misdemeanor and up to six months in jail. Repeat offenders could be charged with a second-degree felony and face up to 20 years in prison.
The Biden administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) has challenged the law, deeming it unconstitutional.
“SB4 impedes the federal government’s ability to enforce entry and removal provisions of federal law and interferes with its conduct of foreign relations,” argued the Biden DOJ. The Supreme Court’s consideration of the legislation follows U.S. District Court Judge David Ezra’s decision to block Texas from implementing the law in February.
The legislation has garnered support from local law enforcement officials, including Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe.
“This law, if and when it goes into effect, will be one more tool in our toolbox to prevent the destruction of our country,” said Coe. Kinney County, which shares 13 miles of border with Mexico, has become a notorious route for human smugglers, with frequent high-speed chases involving law enforcement officials.
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Legal Battles and Border Crisis
The ongoing fight over SB4 is just one of many legal disputes between Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott and the Biden administration regarding immigration and border security. The two have previously clashed over Abbott’s decision to use the Department of Public Safety and state National Guard to take control of a public park in Eagle Pass, which had become a hotspot for illegal crossings.
WATCH: Footage obtained by The Daily Wire’s @SpencerLndqst shows Texas National Guard Soldiers assisting the state’s Department of Public Safety apprehend a group of illegal border crossers early this morning. pic.twitter.com/79Qx61UHCg
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) January 26, 2024
As Texas and other states along the U.S. southern border face an unprecedented surge in illegal crossings, legal battles continue to rage. Since President Biden took office, there have been approximately 9 million encounters nationwide and an estimated 1.7 million gotaways. In comparison, during the Trump administration, there were a total of 415,000 reported gotaways for the years 2018, 2019, and 2020.
The Biden administration has faced severe public criticism for its handling of the border crisis. A February poll conducted by Pew Research revealed that 80% of Americans believe the government is doing a poor job managing the influx of migrants at the border.
What are the concerns raised by opponents of the SB4 legislation regarding racial profiling and reporting crimes by undocumented immigrants?
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Opponents of the legislation argue that it will lead to racial profiling and discourage undocumented immigrants from reporting crimes or cooperating with law enforcement.
“Instead of making our communities safer, SB4 will only further exacerbate rampant race-based profiling, chill victims and witnesses from reporting crimes, and sabotage community policing efforts,” said Mary Moreno, a spokesperson for the Texas Organizing Project.
The controversy surrounding the immigration law comes as the Biden administration grapples with a surge of migrants at the southern border. The number of border crossings has reached record levels, overwhelming detention facilities and stretching Border Patrol resources thin.
While the administration has implemented various policies to address the crisis, such as ending the “Remain in Mexico” program and proposing comprehensive immigration reform, the situation remains challenging.
With the extended stay on the SB4 legislation, the Supreme Court buys more time to consider the constitutional issues surrounding the Texas immigration law. The fate of the law and its potential impact on the enforcement of immigration policies will continue to be a contentious topic in the ongoing national debate on immigration.
For now, the implementation of SB4 remains on hold, and the legal battle between Texas and the federal government continues. As the situation at the southern border remains a pressing concern, the Supreme Court’s decision holds significant implications for the future of immigration policy in the United States.
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