The law, which takes effect in March 2024, will be one of the strictest immigration laws in the country. It would allow any Texas law enforcement officer to arrest people suspected of entering the United States illegally. Once detained, they can either agree to be ordered by a judge to leave the United States or face trial on charges of illegal entry.
Migrants who do not leave risk being re-arrested on more serious felony charges.
The Mexican government has criticized the bill, warning that the measure would lead to family separation and racial profiling. Additionally, Mexico could face its own legal challenges. Texas law requires expelled migrants to be sent to Mexican border crossings, even if they are not Mexican citizens. However, under bilateral and international agreements, Mexico is obliged to accept its deported citizens, but not citizens of other countries. In September and October, Venezuelans, not Mexicans, made up the largest share of those arrested for illegally crossing the southern U.S. border.
Republicans in Texas are increasingly challenging the federal government’s immigration powers, saying President Joe Biden’s administration is not doing enough to control the more than 3,000-mile southern border. Texas authorities have sent more than 65,000 migrants to cities across America since August 2022 and recently installed barbed wire along the banks of the border Rio Grande River, leaving several people injured.
Immediately after Abbott signed the new law, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said it would challenge it in court. More than 20 Democrats in Congress also signed a letter calling on the US Department of Justice to oppose the law.
