Current:Home > NewsFederal appeals court order puts controversial Texas immigration law back on hold-LoTradeCoin
Federal appeals court order puts controversial Texas immigration law back on hold
View Date:2024-12-24 10:42:59
AUSTIN, Texas — A federal appeals court Tuesday night again issued a hold on SB 4 — a Texas law that would authorize state and local police to arrest and even deport people suspected of being in the United States without legal authorization — adding another twist in what has become a legal rollercoaster over a state-level immigration policy.
The 2-1 ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came hours after the U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for the controversial state law to take effect Tuesday, allowing Texas authorities to begin enforcing the measure, which was enthusiastically embraced by the state's Republican leadership and denounced by Democratic officials and immigrant rights activists.
The appeals court panel, which blocked the state from enforcing SB 4, has set a hearing Wednesday morning to further review whether SB 4 can be enforced. Chief Judge Priscilla Richman, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, and Irma Carrillo Ramirez, an appointee of President Joe Biden, were in the majority in issuing a pause on the law. Judge Andrew Stephen Oldham, a former President Donald Trump appointee, dissented.
Passed by the Texas Legislature during a special session in November, SB 4 codifies a series of penalties for anyone suspected of crossing into the U.S. in Texas other than through an international port of entry. The penalties range from a Class B misdemeanor to a second-degree felony.
The law allows state police to arrest migrants suspected of entering the U.S. illegally and to force them to accept a magistrate judge's deportation order or face stiffer criminal penalties.
Signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in December, SB 4 had previously been scheduled to take effect March 5 but its implementation was delayed after the U.S. Justice Department and civil rights groups sued the state over constitutional challenges.
The Justice Department had called the law "flatly inconsistent" with the court's past decisions, which recognized that the power to admit and remove noncitizens lies solely with the federal government, the department told the Supreme Court.
But Texas officials said the state is the nation’s “first-line defense against transnational violence” and the law is needed to deal with the “deadly consequences of the federal government’s inability or unwillingness to protect the border.”
Contributing: Maureen Groppe and Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY; Hogan Gore, Austin American-Statesman
veryGood! (7)
Related
- 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant makes viral mistake: 'Treat yourself a round of sausage'
- Today’s Climate: August 31, 2010
- Prince Harry Receives Apology From Tabloid Publisher Amid Hacking Trial
- Heat Wave Safety: 130 Groups Call for Protections for Farm, Construction Workers
- Disney Store's Black Friday Sale Just Started: Save an Extra 20% When You Shop Early
- Russian state media says U.S. citizen has been detained on drug charges
- Can mandatory liability insurance for gun owners reduce violence? These local governments think so.
- Shoppers Praise This Tatcha Eye Cream for Botox-Level Results: Don’t Miss This 48% Off Deal
- Nearly 80,000 pounds of Costco butter recalled for missing 'Contains Milk statement': FDA
- White House: Raising Coal Royalties a Boon for Taxpayers, and for the Climate
Ranking
- See Chris Evans' Wife Alba Baptista Show Her Sweet Support at Red One Premiere
- Jennifer Lopez Reveals How Her Latest Role Helped Her Become a Better Mom
- Jennifer Lopez Reveals How Her Latest Role Helped Her Become a Better Mom
- An art exhibit on the National Mall honors health care workers who died of COVID
- Nicole Kidman Reveals the Surprising Reason for Starring in NSFW Movie Babygirl
- Today’s Climate: September 7, 2010
- This Summer’s Heat Waves Could Be the Strongest Climate Signal Yet
- Today’s Climate: August 18, 2010
Recommendation
-
New Mexico secretary of state says she’s experiencing harassment after the election
-
Mary-Kate Olsen Is Ready for a Holiday in the Sun During Rare Public Outing
-
Can the Environmental Movement Rally Around Hillary Clinton?
-
This Summer’s Heat Waves Could Be the Strongest Climate Signal Yet
-
Elton John Details Strict Diet in His 70s
-
Mama June Shannon Reveals She Spent $1 Million on Drugs Amid Addiction
-
Hidden audits reveal millions in overcharges by Medicare Advantage plans
-
A cell biologist shares the wonder of researching life's most fundamental form