The White House rejected this Tuesday, March 19, the decision of the country’s Supreme Court to allow the application of a controversial immigration law that gives authorities in Texas the power to detain and expel people they consider “suspected” of having crossed the border. south irregularly.
In a statement, the spokesperson for Joe Biden’s Government, Karine Jean-Pierre, He criticized the decision of the justices of the highest court and called the legislation, known as SB4, “unconstitutional.”
The regulations “will not only make communities in Texas more unsafe, but will burden local authorities, sowing chaos and confusion on our southern border,” he said.
The White House press officer added that the legislation, which was approved by the Texas state Congress in 2023, is an example of the “politicization of the border by Republicans.”
The decision of the Supreme Court this Tuesday, March 19 will allow the authorities of the southern state to enforce this new law while a lower court examines a lawsuit filed by the Biden Government and organizations in defense of human rights.
Read more: Guatemala rejects the Texas anti-immigrant law SB4 that allows the Police to carry out arrests and expulsions
The plaintiffs had asked the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of the measure while the case was resolved in the Fifth Circuit of Appeals.
The law, one of the most drastic anti-immigrant measures in US history, makes it a misdemeanor for a foreigner to “enter or attempt to enter the state from a foreign nation” irregularly. The offense becomes a serious crime, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, if the offender is a repeat offender.
The initiative also allows the state Justice to order the expulsion of people without a legal process. Additionally, police officers will be able to arrest any individual they suspect of entering the country irregularly, and will have the discretion to expel them to Mexico instead of arresting them.
Initially, the measure promoted by the governor of Texas, Republican Greg Abbott, was to come into effect on March 5, but a federal judge sided with the plaintiffs and prohibited it.
The Texas prosecutor, Ken Paxton, took the fight to the Fifth Circuit of Appeals and obtained its support, so the plaintiffs went to the Supreme Court to prevent the law from coming into effect by requesting an emergency motion, which was finally denied.
Read also: Texas: the controversial laws signed by Governor Abbott that would allow police to detain and expel migrants to Mexico
The Supreme Court’s decision was celebrated by Republicans and Texas officials who support the restrictive measures imposed by Abbott.
Paxton applauded the high court’s decision in a message on X: “This is a great victory, (…) it is a great honor for me to defend Texas and its sovereignty.”
🚨🚨 HUGE WIN: Texas has defeated the Biden Administration’s and ACLU’s emergency motions at the Supreme Court. Our immigration law, SB 4, is now in effect. As always, it’s my honor to defend Texas and its sovereignty, and to lead us to victory in court.
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) March 19, 2024
On the other hand, the senior attorney for the Immigrants’ Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Anand Balakrishna, called the decision “disappointing.”
The lawyer added in his statement that the regulations “threaten the integrity of the immigration laws” of the United States “and the fundamental principles of due process”, so they will continue fighting until they defeat it.
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