On Monday, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked SB4, the Texas law that enables the Lone Star state to secure its border with Mexico. Justice Samuel Alito ruled that Texas has until March 11 to respond to complaints made by the Biden administration. The ruling will be in place until March 13.
Texas has been the epicenter of illegal immigration coming through Mexico for decades. Last year Gov. Greg Abbott (R) made headlines when he sent several busloads of illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities such as New York and Chicago. The strategy worked Americans became more aware of the problem of illegal immigration. It highlighted the strain illegal immigration puts on social services and the judicial system by those who should not be in the country. Illegal immigration is now among the top issues in the 2024 election cycle.
The surge in public concern over immigration comes as record numbers of illegal immigrants cross the Southern border.
— National Review (@NRO) February 29, 2024
Texas law, SB4, allows law enforcement agencies to arrest, detain and deport illegal aliens. SB4 allows for prison sentences of up to 20 years for those who refuse to comply. Texas has also built barricades and deployed razor wire to stop the flow of illegal aliens crossing from Mexico into Texas. Approximately 2.5 million illegal aliens crossed the border in 2023, which is a record for the most illegal crossings in one year.
Gov. Abbott remains defiant towards the Biden administration claiming that if the federal government won’t enforce border security, then Texas will. The Supreme Court ruled that Texas is prohibited from deploying physical barriers because that falls under the authority of the federal government.
Despite the Court’s ruling, the Texas National Guard continues to deploy razor wire along the Rio Grande to stop illegal crossings only to see the U.S. Border Patrol remove it later. This cycle of dueling barbed wire will continue as Gov. Abbott vows to fight the flow of illegal aliens into Texas.
Should the Supreme Court side with Texas, then SB4 will remain in place. A ruling against the Texas law will result in new showdowns between Gov. Abbott and the Biden administration. “Texas continues to add more border wall in Cameron County. We will use every tool and strategy to secure our border until President Biden fulfills his constitutional duty to enforce federal immigration laws already on the books,” said Gov. Abbott.
