Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has achieved a significant legal victory as the Supreme Court of the United States rejected emergency motions filed by the Biden Administration and other groups attempting to halt the implementation of Texas’s recent immigration law, SB 4.
The Supreme Court's decision to deny the emergency motions has cleared the way for Texas to enforce SB 4 immediately, following the vacation of an administrative stay previously granted. This development allows Texas to proceed with the law's enforcement while the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit considers whether to grant a stay pending appeal.
SB 4, aimed at addressing issues at the Texas-Mexico border, criminalizes illegal border crossings at the state level in addition to being a federal offense. The law grants Texas law enforcement the authority to detain individuals who enter the state illegally and permits judges to order their return to their country of origin. Attorney General Paxton emphasized that SB 4 is designed to allow Texas to safeguard its sovereignty without conflicting with federal laws.
Attorney General Paxton expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “For now, Texas has defeated the Biden Administration’s and ACLU’s emergency motions at the Supreme Court. Our immigration law, SB 4, is now in effect. As always, it’s my honor to defend Texas and its sovereignty, and to lead us to victory in court.”