A federal judge heard arguments on Thursday from a lawsuit attempting to block a Texas border security bill from becoming law due to claims that it is unconstitutional.
The hearing came as the U.S. Department of Justice and multiple civil rights groups remain mired in lawsuits with Texas over a border security bill that makes unlawful entry into the state a crime. The plaintiffs allege that the bill would grant the state powers reserved for the federal government.
SB 4, which is set to become law on March 5, would also authorize state law enforcement officers to apprehend those suspected of violating the law.
The Justice Department claimed in a lawsuit that SB 4 would “intrude on the federal government’s exclusive authority to regulate the entry and removal of noncitizens, frustrate the United States’ immigration operations and proceedings, and interfere with U.S. foreign relations.”
U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra reportedly seemed skeptical about the arguments made by the state during the February 15 hearing, arguing that a provision in the bill “slaps the federal immigration law right in the face.”
“A little more care, in fact, maybe a lot more care, could have gone into the drafting of this statute,” he said, per the Texas Observer.
Ezra continued by presenting concerns regarding Texas’ claims that the state is in the midst of an invasion, stating, “I haven’t seen, and the state of Texas can’t point me to any type of military invasion in Texas.”
“I don’t think anyone in their right mind would say federal immigration law doesn’t need an update, but that doesn’t mean it’s not enforceable,” he added, per KXAN.
Ezra said that SB 4 becoming law could prompt other states to enact migration legislation of their own, which could lead to the United States becoming “a confederation of states.”
It is currently unclear when Ezra will announce his decision, although the judge said he plans on coming to a conclusion “as quickly as [he] possibly can,” per the Texas Observer. He claimed it would come before the March 5 deadline for the bill to become law.
While it is currently unclear what the ruling will be, the judge did say that he would not be surprised if “this case would find its way to the U.S. Supreme Court,” as reported by the Texas Observer.
This lawsuit is one of many pending between Texas and the federal government due to the crisis at the southern border, which has resulted in record-breaking numbers of encounters with unlawful migrants.
The Lone Star State is also currently involved in legal battles with the federal government over a floating barrier in the Rio Grande and concertina wire along the border meant to deter unlawful migration.