ACLU suing Texas over new border law

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott enacted a law on Monday allowing local law enforcement to arrest migrants suspected of entering the state illegally. Senate Bill 4 also permits local judges to order deportations for illegal immigrants. The American Civil Liberties Union, its Texas branch, and the Texas Civil Rights Project filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against state leaders, alleging the law is unconstitutional. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also said his ministry plans to challenge the law, calling it “inhumane” during a Tuesday press conference. Abbott passed the law to combat what he described as President Joe Biden’s failure to enforce immigration law, asserting that “Biden’s deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself.”

How is it illegal to enforce immigration laws? The lawsuit argues that only the federal government has authority on immigration matters, making the new state law unconstitutional. The ACLU also alleges the measure illegally blocks migrants from applying for asylum. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slammed the statute during her Tuesday briefing, insisting it would not make Texas safer. Jean-Pierre added that the Department of Justice would decide whether to take legal action.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report in WORLD Magazine on how Texas communities grapple with the rising migrant population.