US Justice Division sues Texas over immigration legislation

by bourbiza mohamed January 4, 2024, 3:32 pm 1k Views

Migrants, most from Venezuela, stand near razor wire while surrendering to authorities after wading across the Rio Grande River into the United States from Mexico, in Eagle Pass, Texas, Oct. 5, 2023. The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Texas to challenge an immigration law that gives state officials broad powers to arrest, prosecute and deport people who illegally cross the border.

Migrants, most from Venezuela, stand close to razor wire whereas surrendering to authorities after wading throughout the Rio Grande River into america from Mexico, in Eagle Go, Texas, Oct. 5, 2023. The U.S. Justice Division on Wednesday filed a lawsuit towards Texas to problem an immigration legislation that offers state officers broad powers to arrest, prosecute and deport individuals who illegally cross the border. (Adrees Latif, Reuters)

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WASHINGTON —The U.S. Justice Division on Wednesday filed a lawsuit towards Texas to problem an immigration legislation that offers state officers broad powers to arrest, prosecute and deport individuals who illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

Why it is necessary

The legislation, referred to as SB4, or Senate Invoice 4, makes it a state crime to illegally enter or re-enter Texas from a international nation and provides state and native legislation enforcement authorities the ability to arrest and prosecute violators. It additionally permits state judges to order that people be deported, with as much as 20-year jail sentences for individuals who refuse to conform.

The Justice Division’s lawsuit comes about two weeks after a lawsuit by civil rights teams that additionally challenged the brand new Republican-backed Texas legislation.

Key quotes

“SB 4 is clearly unconstitutional,” stated affiliate Lawyer Normal Vanita Gupta.

“Below the Supremacy Clause of the Structure and longstanding Supreme Court docket precedent, states can’t undertake immigration legal guidelines that intrude with the framework enacted by Congress,” Gupta stated in a press release launched by the U.S. Justice Division on Wednesday.

Context

The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature handed the measure in November. The state’s Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the legislation in December.

Texas is already embroiled in a sequence of court docket circumstances associated to Abbott’s efforts to discourage and punish unlawful border crossings.

File numbers of migrants have been caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border since President Joe Biden, a Democrat, took workplace in 2021. Abbott and different Republicans blame Biden, who’s searching for re-election in 2024, for rolling again restrictive insurance policies of former President Donald Trump, the main candidate for the Republican Occasion nomination.

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Written by bourbiza mohamed

Bourbiza Mohamed is a freelance journalist and political science analyst holding a Master's degree in Political Science. Armed with a sharp pen and a discerning eye, Bourbiza Mohamed contributes to various renowned sites, delivering incisive insights on current political and social issues. His experience translates into thought-provoking articles that spur dialogue and reflection.