OAN’s James Meyers
11:50 AM -Monday, March 4, 2024
A federal appeals court has allowed the Texas Immigration law Senate Bill 4 to take effect on Monday, which allows the state’s law enforcement to arrest individuals for illegally crossing into the United States if the Supreme Court decides to not intervene.
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This comes after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had granted a temporary stay of a lower court’s decision to block the law, which gives police the authority to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the country.
“BREAKING HUGE NEWS Federal appeals court allows Texas immigration law to take effect. Law enforcement officers in Texas are now authorized to arrest & jail any illegal immigrants crossing the border,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas.) posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
The 5th Circuit said it would hold its decision for seven days to give the federal government a chance to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Texas has the constitutional right to defend itself because of President Biden’s ongoing failure to fulfill his duty,” Republican Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott said last week. “We will not back down in our fight to protect Texas. This case will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.”
U.S. District Judge David Ezra blocked the law last Thursday, rebuking claims by Republicans related to how the Southern border was being hit with an invasion after record-high illegal crossings.
Additionally, the Texas law would allow state judges to order individuals who violate the law to leave the country immediately, with prison sentences up to a maximum of 20 years for those who refuse to comply.
However, opponents of the bill claim it is the most dramatic move since 2010, when an Arizona bill known as the “Show Me Your Papers” bill was shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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