A federal judge has blocked a Texas state law that would make unlawful entry into the state a crime.
SB 4, which was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in December, was previously set to go into effect on March 5 but will now be unenforceable due to a temporary injunction from U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra, according to ABC 7 Chicago.
Ezra previously heard oral arguments in the case and reportedly seemed skeptical about the justification being presented by the state, claiming during a hearing that a provision in the bill “slaps the federal immigration law right in the face,” as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The ruling stems from separate lawsuits from the U.S. Department of Justice and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that were conjoined into one.
Ezra wrote in his ruling that deciding in favor of the law would allow Texas to “permanently supersede federal directives” and referenced a previous ruling in Arizona that had similarities as a precedent, per ABC 7.
David Donatti, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, argued in a press release that the ruling was “an important win for Texas values, human rights, and the U.S. Constitution.”
“Our current immigration system needs repair because it forces millions of Americans into the shadows and shuts the door on people in need of safety. S.B. 4 would only make things worse. Cruelty to migrants is not a policy solution,” he claimed.
Attorney General Ken Paxton has already announced that his office has filed an appeal on the “incorrect decision.”
“Texas has a clear right to defend itself from the drug smugglers, human traffickers, cartels, and legions of illegal aliens crossing into our State as a consequence of the Biden Administration’s deliberate policy choices,” Paxton continued, per a press release.
“I will do everything possible to defend Texas’s right to defend herself against the catastrophic illegal invasion encouraged by the federal government,” he said.
Abbott expressed similar sentiments after the ruling was announced, stating that the Lone Star State will “not back down in our fight to protect our state — and our nation — from President Biden’s border crisis.”
“The President of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting States, including laws already on the books that mandate the detention of illegal immigrants. Texas has the right to defend itself because of President Biden’s ongoing failure to fulfill his duty to protect our state from the invasion at our southern border. Even from the bench, this District Judge acknowledged that this case will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court,” he added.