Key facts
- A federal appeals court allowed Texas to enforce key parts of a law allowing state officials to arrest and deport migrants suspected of illegal border crossings.
- The ruling stays a previous injunction issued by a federal judge.
- The law makes re-entry after deportation a state crime and grants Texas magistrate judges power to issue deportation orders.
- Civil rights groups, including the ACLU and Texas Civil Rights Project, are continuing to fight the law.
Texas's SB 4 law, passed in 2023, allows state law enforcement to arrest and deport individuals suspected of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. This measure challenges the federal government's exclusive authority over immigration, leading to legal battles. The state argues it is necessary to manage the border crisis, while civil rights advocates contend it is unconstitutional and will lead to discriminatory enforcement.