The Supreme Court extended a temporary hold on a new Texas immigration law, which is being contested by the Biden administration. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito issued the order to maintain the freeze on a lower court’s decision, stating that the law would remain on hold until further notice from the court.
Initially set to take effect on March 10, the law has faced multiple interventions by Justice Alito to prevent its implementation. His most recent order, set to expire on Monday evening, prevented the law from being enacted until further action from the Supreme Court.
With this extension, the law remains blocked indefinitely, allowing the nine justices more time to deliberate and determine the next steps.The law in question, known as SB4, allows law enforcement to arrest migrants who illegally cross the border from Mexico and imposes criminal penalties.
According to court documents, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued that the Texas law contradicts Supreme Court precedent established over the past century.
On the other hand, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defended the law, stating in court filings that it aligns with federal law and serves as a necessary measure for the state. Paxton emphasized Texas’s constitutional right to protect itself from violent transnational cartels, which he claimed inundate the state with dangerous substances like fentanyl and weapons.
In addition to the Biden administration’s challenge, the city of El Paso, along with two immigrant rights groups, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and American Gateways, also contested the law, filing their own emergency request with the Supreme Court.