Texas is intensifying its efforts to enforce a controversial new law that would permit local authorities to arrest and detain migrants. The law, known as Texas Senate Bill 4 or SB4, was signed by Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott in December, but has faced legal challenges from rights groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the administration of President Joe Biden.
After the United States Supreme Court briefly allowed the law to go into effect on Tuesday, a lower court blocked its implementation hours later, citing ongoing challenges over its constitutionality. As Texas’s Republican-led government vows to defend the law in any legal battle, civil rights advocates are determined to stop it from being enforced, warning that it only adds to the confusion and fear surrounding immigration in the US.
Christine Bolanos from the Workers Defense Project, which represents migrant labourers, described the law as “anti-immigrant” and “extremist”. The organization is working to educate migrants and asylum seekers about their rights and implementing emergency preparedness plans in case of deportation threats.
The law would allow state and local authorities to detain individuals suspected of crossing into the US from Mexico outside legal ports of entry, with severe penalties for those without legal documentation. Mexico has condemned the law as “inhumane” and vowed not to accept deported migrants and asylum seekers from Texas.
Critics warn of heightened racial profiling and other abuses of power under SB4, fearing the impact it could have on mixed families and communities with large populations of ethnic and racial minorities in Texas. Despite ongoing legal challenges, more than 41,000 criminal arrests have been made under the law, with Texas continuing to enforce it through measures like border wall construction and increased National Guard presence.
As rights advocates fight to prevent SB4 from being upheld in court, they are also engaging in public awareness campaigns to educate at-risk communities and mobilize support against the law. The outcome of the legal battle over SB4 could have far-reaching implications for immigration policy in the US and set a precedent for similar laws in other states.