The US Supreme Court has once again halted the implementation of a controversial Texas immigration law, referred to as SB4, which the Biden administration deems unconstitutional.
SB4 would authorize local and state law enforcement to apprehend individuals crossing the border from Mexico illegally, making it one of the strictest immigration measures proposed in any state.
Since President Biden’s inauguration in 2021, a staggering 6.3 million migrants have been detained for illegal border crossings. In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court issued an administrative stay, preventing SB4 from being enforced while emergency appeals from the Biden administration and other opponents are being considered.
This marks the third time Justice Samuel Alito has intervened to pause SB4. The law would grant local and state police broad authority to stop and arrest suspected illegal border crossers, with penalties ranging from misdemeanors to felonies and fines up to $2,000. Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican ally of former President Donald Trump, has staunchly defended SB4 as necessary to curb migrant crossings, criticizing the Biden administration’s border security efforts.
The law faced legal challenges from organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and the US Department of Justice, arguing it encroached on federal immigration authority. Although a federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked SB4 in late February, the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals halted that decision, prompting an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court by the Biden administration.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick defended SB4 on Fox News, characterizing migrants as a “hostile group” and stressing the need for stringent measures to protect the state. However, the Texas House Mexican American Legislative Caucus welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, citing relief for millions of mixed-status Texan families.
Immigration and border security have emerged as significant concerns for American voters leading up to the November 2024 election, with a Gallup poll revealing nearly 30% of Americans perceive immigration as the country’s most pressing issue, surpassing concerns about government, the economy, and inflation.