Texas Immigration Bill Heading Back to Court
Source: Newsweek
Published Apr 01, 2024 at 12:35 PM EDT
A plan to tackle illegal immigration into Texas is due to have another day in court this week as Governor Greg Abbott fights to push through Senate Bill 4.
The bill, which would allow Texas officials to make their own arrests, detainments, and deportations without being overseen by federal authorities, has been working its way through the legal system since last year. While proponents say the bill would help manage immigration into the state and increase public safety, critics argue it is unconstitutional and authorizes untrained police officers to make complex decisions about immigration law.
It comes amid a febrile debate across the state and the rest of the country about immigration, with some other Republican-led states, such as Arkansas and South Dakota, sending their own troops to help monitor the Texas-Mexico border. Tensions have reached boiling point, with a standoff between state and federal authorities even sparking fear the situation could spiral into a civil war.
S.B. 4 was passed during a special Texas legislative session in November 2023, but has since been the subject of various legal wrangling and is not currently in effect. The issue will be back in court this week when a three-judge panel will assess whether S.B. 4 violates the Constitution. The hearing will take place at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, and attorneys for both sides will have 30 minutes to convince the panel of their arguments. Newsweek reached out to Abbott and the White House for comment.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/texas-immigration-senate-bill-4-sb4-court-1885631
