On ice for the time being

Controversial migration law in Texas halted

A Texas National Guard officer talks to migrants who have just crossed the Rio Grande River at the border with Mexico.(Bild: AFP )

Shortly after the controversial Texas immigration law was approved by the Supreme Court, a US appeals court has put it on hold again. The law is intended to give Texas authorities far-reaching powers at the border with Mexico that are otherwise reserved for federal authorities. 

It would allow Texas police officers to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the border from Mexico into the USA. Texan courts would also be able to order deportations and impose long-term prison sentences for repeated border crossings.

Further motion to be heard on Wednesday
However, the court of appeals will hear a motion from Texas on Wednesday to reinstate the law for the time being, US media reported.

US President Joe Biden at the US-Mexico border - the issue of immigration is of great importance in the upcoming election campaign.(Bild: AFP)

Department of Justice finds overstepping its authority
The law has long been controversial. The Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, signed it back in December. After a lengthy legal tug-of-war, the US Department of Justice finally argued before the Supreme Court that the US state in the south of the USA was overstepping its authority with the project - and thus caused a delay.

With the Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday, the law was able to come into force for the time being, until the Court of Appeal stopped it again for the time being. According to the US media, it was initially unclear whether any arrests had already been made in the meantime.

Justice Department and NGOs sue
The issue of migration is playing a major role in the US presidential election campaign. The latest decisions surrounding the law are likely to further fuel the debate on US migration policy. The legal dispute over the law is now entering the next round. Lawsuits filed by the Department of Justice and several human rights and civil rights organizations still have to make their way through the courts.