Texas will begin arresting migrants under law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday
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Texas will begin authorizing state and local police to arrest migrants believed to be in the state illegally and granting state judges the power to order them to return to Mexico under a law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday.
The sweeping and controversial proposal is scheduled to take effect in early 2024, but some civil rights groups have already said they would file a lawsuit over the bill, which is likely destined for the U.S. Supreme Court.
At a bill signing ceremony in front of the steel wall the state is erecting along the border, Abbott again blamed President Joe Biden and said his failure to enforce federal immigration laws has resulted in Texas attempting to curb immigration.
“Joe Biden’s deliberate inaction has decimated America,” Abbott said.
In March 2021, Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, the multibillion dollar border security initiative that has used trespassing on private land as cause to arrest migrants believed to be in Texas illegally. But Senate Bill 4 goes further than any previous measures Abbott has signed.