Experts warn of chaos if Texas immigration law is eventually allowed to take effect
It was only for a few hours that Texas law SB4, which allows state police to arrest people suspected of crossing the border illegally, was in effect, and the Associated Press reports that it does not appear anyone was detained under its provisions.
The law is currently being wrangled over at the appeals court level, and may again wind up before the supreme court, where the conservative justices yesterday allowed it to go into force, without ruling on its merits.
Experts the AP spoke to warned that if it eventually does becomes law, it could have a chaotic range of effects across the second most-populous state in the country. Hereâs what Ricardo Samaniego, the executive of El Paso county, said:
Heightened law enforcement presence in the city of El Paso during a previous migrant surge brought high-speed chases and traffic stops based on assumptions that passengers were in the country illegally. âWe had accidents, we had injuries, we got a little glimpse of what would happen if the state begins to control what happens in respect to immigration,â
Daniel Morales, an associate law professor at the University of Houston Law Center, warned the law would be âa mess, very clearly, to enforceâ:
âItâs very clear that Greg Abbott wants to enforce the law so he can get lots of photo ops and opportunities, but itâs gonna take a lot of state resources to implement. And I donât know, in fact, how much appetite and capacity for that the state government actually has.â
Greg Abbott is the stateâs Republican governor, and a champion of the law.
Executive director of the Sheriffsâ Association of Texas, Skylor Hearn, said deputies across the state have been training for the past year in case the law takes effect. But he added:
âAs long as the federal government is willing to do its part that it is supposed to be doing, it is ideal for them to take possession and custody of these people.â
Key events
Appeals court again blocks Texas law allowing police to arrest suspected undocumented migrants
Good morning, US politics blog readers. It was only a few hours ago when the supreme court cleared the way for a potential upending of US immigration enforcement by allowing a Texas law that gave state police the power to arrest people suspected of crossing the border illegally to go into effect. But hours after the top courtâs Tuesday afternoon order, a federal appeals court once again blocked the law â at least for now. The decision prevents what could have become a confusing and unprecedented situation from playing out in the massive, Republican-governed state along the border with Mexico. Texasâs police would have been able to arrest people suspected of being in the country illegally â a task reserved for federal law enforcement.
Texas enacted its law as Republicans nationwide attack Joe Biden over the surge in undocumented migrants that has played out since he took office. In Congress, the GOP continues to demand the president support tougher border policies, though they blocked a compromise that would impose those and approve new aid for Ukraine and Israel. The White House views the Texas law as âharmful and unconstitutionalâ, and the legal wrangling over it is unlikely to end anytime soon.
Hereâs what else is going on today:
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Congress is working on a final batch of government spending bills ahead of a Friday deadline to pass them and prevent a partial government shutdown. Party leaders yesterday announced a deal on the funding, but it still needs to be approved by the full Senate and House of Representatives.
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Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, will reportedly address Senate Republicans at their lunch. Last week, the chamberâs Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, called for new elections to be held.
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The Federal Reserve will decide whether or not to keep interest rates at their high level when their regular policy meeting concludes at 2pm ET.
