On Wednesday, the Biden administration initiated legal proceedings against the state of Texas regarding a statute that criminalizes unauthorized entry into the state and grants state authorities increased authority to patrol the border.
The Department of Justice has filed the lawsuit, which asserts that SB 4 violates the Constitution due to the fact that the federal government is vested with jurisdiction over immigration and international borders.
Legislators argue that the Biden administration made insufficient moves to secure the frontier in the face of an unprecedented influx of unauthorized border crossings.
The Biden administration threatened legal action against Texas last week if Governor Greg Abbott failed to commit to not enforcing the law. Abbott has so far refused to do so.
The legislation, endorsed by Abbott earlier this month, would grant Texas judges the authority to deport individuals who illegally enter the state back to Mexico.
This would constitute a clear contradiction to the catch-and-release policy that the Biden administration presently implements. Abbott expressed confidence that the law would endure in spite of Biden’s lawsuit.
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