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A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked a controversial new Texas law that would make it illegal to cross into the state from Mexico, as both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump are expected to make appearances in cities along the Texas border.
In December, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB4 into law, allowing state officers to arrest anyone they suspect of crossing into the country illegally and deport them. The law, which was set to go into effect on March 5, was touted by state Republicans as a necessary response to President Biden’s inability to address a surge of immigration at the Southern border.
In the preliminary injunction filed on Thursday, federal Judge David Ezra cited the Supremacy Clause, which affirms that states cannot exercise immigration enforcement, as that is a duty of the federal government.