Supreme Court allows Texas police to make arrests in illegal border crossings

The Supreme Court has green-lighteda controversial immigration law in Texas, allowing local law enforcement officials to arrest people crossing the US-Mexico border illegally.

Just one day after ordering the law, known as SB4, to remain paused, the court issued a 6-3 decision rejecting the Biden administration’s emergency request.

The law will now be permitted to go into effect while litigation at lower courts is pending. While it is allowed for now, it could be blocked at a later date.

The court’s conservative majority did not give a reason for refusing the stay. In a concurring opinion, Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh argued that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals hadn’t decided yet.

«If a decision does not issue soon, the applicants may return to this court,” Justice Barrett wrote.

The liberal justices dissented from the decision, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote it “invites further chaos and crisis in immigration enforcement.”

SB4 makes it a crime for individuals to cross the US–Mexico border illegally and giveslaw enforcement the authority to charge them with a Class B misdemeanour which carries a maximum sentencing of six months in jail. Second offenders could face second-degree felony charges and up to 20 years in prison.

A Texas National Guard soldier puts up additional razor wire at the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas on January 31, 2024 across from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

The temporary decision is a win for Texas Governor Greg Abbott who has pushed aggressive legislation to stop migrants from crossing the border and impose penalties for doing so.

Critics of the bill have called it an “extreme” piece of anti-immigration legislation.

The bill, which Mr Abbott signed in December, was set to go into