Federal judge blocks enforcement of controversial Texas immigration law

CNN —

A federal judge in Austin, Texas, ordered the state government Thursday to suspend enforcement of a controversial law that would allow state law enforcement agents to arrest and detain people they suspect of entering the country illegally.

“If allowed to procced, SB 4 could open the door to each state passing its own version of immigration laws,” Judge David Alan Ezra wrote, granting a preliminary injunction against the law.

The judge rejected the state’s argument that the current influx of migrants across the southern border is an “invasion” that Texas has the right to stop unilaterally. “SB 4 threatens the fundamental notion that the United States must regulate immigration with one voice,” Ezra wrote.

Without action from the court, the law was set to go into effect on Tuesday. Plaintiffs include the federal government and El Paso County, which claims enforcing the law would strain its jail system with thousands of new arrests.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans to build an 80-acre base to house up to 1,800 Texas National Guard members near Eagle Pass -- the border city at the center of a contentious feud between the state and Biden administration over federal immigration policy. CNN's Camila Bernal reports. " data-duration="02:17" data-source-html=" - Source: CNN " data-fave-thumbnails="{"big": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/240115081509-01-eagle-pass-national-guard-011224.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill" }, "small": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/240115081509-01-eagle-pass-national-guard-011224.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill" } }" data-vr-video="false" data-show-html="" data-byline-html=" Douglas Wood " data-check-event-based-preview=""