On Monday, Supreme Court judge Samuel Alito barred Texas officials from detaining and jailing immigrants suspected of crossing the southern border without authorization. This is under the SB4 state migration law that the Biden administration has termed illegal.

The directive From Judge Alito came after the self-imposed deadline passed, further continuing the pause on the enforcement of the controversial law. The law formed part of Gov. Greg Abbott's immigration policies.

The said law is under consideration by the court of appeal that is looking for its legality .It is the court of appeal that requested the supreme court to suspend the implementation of the law as the matter is being determined.

SB4 was passed by the Texas legislature last year and criminalized unauthorized immigration at the state level. This automatically made entering the US border without using the formal ports of entry illegal. The act was previously a federal offense but the law turned it into a state offense. 

The SB4 law waived after the Biden administration made a request. They claimed that the law was at odds with the federal government’s policy on immigration.

Texas horizon law group enforcement officials to arrest and detain immigrants crossing into the state. The law also empowers judges in Texas to order illegal immigrants back into Mexico as an alternative to continuing with their prosecution.  That in itself is creating a de facto state-based deportation system. Unfortunately, the federal justice department said that the law contravenes both the federal law and the constitution.

Noting that arrest and deportation remains within the purview of the federal government, the SB4 law in Texas contravenes that and is likely to affect the cordial relationship between the USA federal government and the Mexican government which has already denounced the SB4 law.

On his part, Governor Abbott, who happens to be Biden’s biggest critic when it comes to immigration issues, has said that the state took that position because they felt that the federal government was not doing enough to tackle immigration along the Rio Grande.

According to Texas horizon law group, the last three years has seen Texas mount a lot of effort in countering the federal government’s power over immigration.  The state has gone ahead to lay razor wire and buoys on the water to deter illegal immigrants from crossing over into the state. Its actions include fling several lawsuits against federal laws and policy on migration.