Supreme Court allows Texas to enforce immigration law

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for Texas to immediately begin enforcing a controversial immigration law that allows state officials to arrest and detain individuals suspected of entering the country illegally, handing the state a significant, albeit temporary, victory in its ongoing battle with the Biden administration over immigration policy.

With only the court's three liberal justices dissenting, the high court lifted an indefinite pause on the proceedings it had issued just a day earlier, effectively allowing the law to take effect while legal challenges continue at the federal appeals court level.

Wow.

The Supreme Court just did a 180 and ruled that Texas is allowed to enforce SB 4, allowing state police to arrest and deport illegal aliens.

7 of the 9 Justices sided with Texas over the Biden admin

Sotomayor and Jackson dissented and said it will “sow chaos.” pic.twitter.com/s2SIXaWe8u

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 19, 2024

Senate Bill 4, signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in December, makes illegal entry into Texas a state crime and grants state judges the authority to order the deportation of immigrants, a function traditionally reserved for the federal government.

The law's enactment raised immediate concerns among immigration advocates, who fear it could lead to increased racial profiling and unlawful detentions in Texas, where Latinos make up 40% of the population, NBC News reported.

In a concurring opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, joined by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, explained that the appeals court had only issued a temporary "administrative" order and expressed reluctance to involve the Supreme Court in reviewing such orders.

However, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a dissent joined by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, warned that the decision "invites further chaos and crisis in immigration enforcement" and "upends the federal-state balance of power that has existed for over a century."

"Texas can now immediately enforce its own law imposing criminal liability on thousands of noncitizens and requiring their removal to Mexico," Sotomayor wrote, arguing that the law will "disrupt sensitive foreign relations, frustrate the protection of individuals fleeing persecution, hamper active federal enforcement efforts, undermine federal agencies' ability to detect and monitor imminent security threats, and deter noncitizens from reporting abuse or trafficking."

The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is set to hear arguments in the case on April 3. If the court fails to issue a decision promptly, the Biden administration and other parties could return to the Supreme Court for further intervention.

Tami Goodlette, an attorney representing some of the law's challengers, called the court's order "unfortunate" and said it "needlessly puts people's lives at risk," vowing to continue fighting to permanently overturn the controversial legislation.