Current:Home > InvestFederal appeals court order puts controversial Texas immigration law back on hold -FundGuru
Federal appeals court order puts controversial Texas immigration law back on hold
View
Date:2025-04-16 03:46:53
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! (51771)
Related
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- The Doctor Who Gift Guide That’s Whovian-Approved (and More Than Just TARDISes)
- NBC tries something new for Olympic swimming, gymnastics, track in Paris
- Native American tribe is on a preservation mission as it celebrates trust status for ancestral lands
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Ariana Grande 'upset' by 'innuendos' on her Nickelodeon shows after 'Quiet on Set' doc
- Biden campaign calls on GOP to drop lawsuits over mail ballots, citing Trump’s new fondness for it
- Orson Merrick continues to be optimistic about the investment opportunities in the US stock software sector in 2024 and recommends investors actively seize the opportunity for corrections.
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- Alarmed by embryo destruction, Southern Baptists urge caution on IVF by couples and government
Ranking
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- Nicola Coughlan Is a Blushing Bride at Bridgerton Red Carpet in London
- Young bear spotted relaxing on a hammock in a Vermont yard
- Sony Pictures acquires Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the dine-in movie theater chain
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- NYC considers ending broker fees for tenants, angering real estate industry
- Miranda Lambert mourns loss of her 2 rescue dogs: 'They are worth it'
- Gunman hijacks bus in Atlanta with 17 people on board; 1 person killed
Recommendation
The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
At the Tony Awards, a veteran host with plenty of stars and songs on tap
Liza Minnelli opens up about addiction, Judy Garland in new film: 'Not a lot of laughs'
Democrats are forcing a vote on women’s right to IVF in an election-year push on reproductive care
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
'Unfinished beef': Joey Chestnut, Takeru Kobayashi set for rematch in Netflix hot dog contest
Pro-Palestinian protesters take over Cal State LA building, employees told to shelter in place
Unanimous Supreme Court preserves access to widely used abortion medication