A federal judge on Thursday blocked Texas officials from enforcing major provisions of the controversial immigration law known as SB 4, which would have allowed state authorities to arrest and deport individuals suspected of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. District Judge David Ezra issued a preliminary injunction after civil rights groups, led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of thousands of potentially affected migrants.
In his ruling, Judge Ezra stated that the Texas law conflicts with federal immigration authority and violates the U.S. Constitution by giving state officials powers traditionally reserved for the federal government. He emphasized that immigration enforcement, naturalization, and deportation fall under federal jurisdiction, adding that SB 4 improperly allowed Texas officials to enforce federal immigration laws without federal oversight.
The lawsuit challenged several provisions of the 2023 Republican-backed law, including measures making it a state crime for deported individuals to reenter the U.S. even with federal permission, and granting Texas magistrate judges authority to issue deportation orders. The ruling temporarily halts those provisions from taking effect, with immigrant-rights groups praising the decision as a victory for constitutional protections and federal authority over immigration policy.
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