In response to this week’s Supreme Court ruling, a federal appeals court blocked a controversial Texas immigration law that would allow state officials to arrest and detain migrants suspected of entering the country illegally.
Earlier this week, a divided Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Texas would be allowed to implement the new law, despite claims from the Biden administration that the measures are a blatant violation of federal immigration authorities.
Texas Senate Bill 4 would give state law enforcement broad authority to arrest and detain anyone suspected of entering the country illegally. It would also authorize state judges to order migrants removed from the country.
In response, the Mexican government said it would “under no circumstances” process migrants returned to its territory from Texas, except in the case of Mexican citizens.
Critics of Abbott’s border approach say the law would sow chaos on the U.S.-Mexico border, overwhelming local law enforcement and federal officials. Many say the law is also likely to increase racial profiling and civil rights violations of individuals across Texas.
The ruling by the 5th U.S. Court of Appeals temporarily blocks Texas from enforcing the new law, but it is unclear when a final decision will be made. This week’s events are part of a series of ongoing legal disputes between Texas officials and the Biden administration over border policy. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says the federal government hasn’t done enough to prevent undocumented border crossings and should be tougher on immigration enforcement.