Louisiana lawmakers approve bill similar to Texas’ embattled migrant enforcement law

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana bill that would empower state and local law enforcement to arrest and jail people in the state who entered the U.S. illegally received approval from lawmakers Wednesday and will likely soon be on the governor’s desk.

Amid national fights between Republican states and Democratic President Joe Biden over how and who should enforce the U.S.-Mexico border, a growing list of GOP-led states have passed measures seeking to push deeper into migrant enforcement. However, laws similar to Louisiana’s legislation — in Iowa, Oklahoma and Texas — are currently facing legal challenges.

Texas was allowed to enforce its migrant enforcement law for only a few confusing hours in March while legal fights bounced around federal courts. During that time, Texas authorities announced no arrests made under the law, and the brief window revealed that many sheriffs were unprepared, unable or uninterested in enforcing it.

Texas’ law remains on hold by a federal appeals court’s three-judge panel, which heard arguments from both supporters and opponents in April. It is unclear when the panel will issue a ruling.

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