The Supreme Court indefinitely extended a block on a Texas law that would give police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the U.S. The order was signed by Justice Samuel Alito, and it extended the stay "pending further order."
Senate Bill 4, as the proposed law is known, has been considered by opponents the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since an Arizona law more than a decade ago that would have allowed police to arrest people for federal immigration violations, often referred to as the "show me your papers" bill," portions of which were struck down by the Supreme Court, according to justice Alito's determination.
The Texas Attorney General has said the state's law mirrored federal law and "was adopted to address the ongoing crisis at the southern border, which hurts Texans more than anyone else."
Back when the bill was proposed, the Biden administration quickly stated its opposition, suing to strike down the measure on the basis that it would usurp core federal authority on immigration, hurt international relations and create chaos administering immigration law.
A federal judge in Texas struck down the law in late February, but the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals quickly stayed that ruling, leading the federal government to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The SCOTUS ruling is just the latest episode in a series of battles between the state of Texas and the Biden administration over how far the state can go to patrol the Texas-Mexico border and prevent illegal border crossings.
Several Republicans have backed Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott's efforts, saying the federal government is not doing enough to enforce existing immigration laws.
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