Justices on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments Wednesday in the case challenging the controversial new trial. immigration law In Texas, it would allow police to arrest migrants who cross illegally into the United States from Mexico.
The case will be heard at 10 a.m. by Chief Judge Priscilla Richman and Judges Andrew S. Oldham and Irma Carrillo Ramirez. Richman and Oldham were appointed by former Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump, respectively, while Ramirez was appointed by President Joe Biden.
Three judges late Tuesday night in short order the panel ruled 2-1 to temporarily block the measure, known as Senate Bill 4 while the judges are hearing the case. Richman and Ramirez voted to block the law, while Oldham voted to keep it in place.
Tuesday before The Supreme Court said it could be enforced.
The lawThe bill, signed in December by Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, would allow police officers to detain migrants and impose criminal penalties. It would also give state judges the power to order people deported to Mexico.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the Texas law “harmful and unconstitutional” in a statement Tuesday after the Supreme Court decision but before the law was stayed by an appeals court.
“SB 4 will not only make Texas communities less safe, it will overburden law enforcement and sow chaos and confusion along our southern border,” he said. “SB 4 is another example of Republican officials politicizing the border while blocking real solutions.”
The Justice Department sued the state of Texas in early January challenging the new law, arguing that the US Constitution gives the federal government the power to regulate and control immigration and international borders.
“Under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution and longstanding Supreme Court precedent, states cannot enact immigration laws that interfere with the framework enacted by Congress,” Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement at the time. “The Department of Justice will continue to comply.” Responsible for upholding the Constitution and enforcing federal laws.