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WASHINGTON —The Supreme Court on Monday continued to block, for now, a Texas law that would give police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the U.S. Meanwhile, the legal battle the law sparked over immigration authority continues to play out.
A one-page order signed by Justice Samuel Alito indefinitely prevented Texas from enforcing a sweeping state immigration enforcement law that had been set to take effect this month. The language of the order strongly suggested the court would take additional action, but it was unclear when.
The order marked the second time Alito has extended a pause on the law, known as Senate Bill 4, which the Justice Department has argued would step on the federal government's immigration powers. The extension came a few minutes after a 5 p.m. deadline the court had set for itself, creating momentary confusion about the measure's status.
Opponents have called the law the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since an Arizona law more than a decade ago, portions of which were struck down by the Supreme Court.
The office of Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has said the state's law mirrored federal law and "was adopted to address the ongoing crisis at the southern border, which hurts Texans more than anyone else."
The Biden administration sued to strike down the measure, arguing it would usurp core federal authority on immigration, hurt international relations and create chaos in administering immigration law. Civil rights groups have argued the law could lead to civil rights violations and racial profiling.
A federal judge in Texas struck down the law in late February, but the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals quickly stayed that ruling, leading the federal government to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Arizona law, often referred to by opponents as the "show me your papers" measure, would have allowed police to arrest people for federal immigration violations. In 2012, the divided high court found that the impasse in Washington over immigration reform did not justify state intrusion and struck down key parts of the law.
The battle over the Texas immigration law is one of multiple legal disputes between Texas officials and the Biden administration over how far the state can go to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border and prevent illegal border crossings.
Several Republican governors have backed Governor Greg Abbott's efforts, saying the federal government is not doing enough to enforce existing immigration laws.
The case is unfolding as record numbers of asylum-seekers arrive in the United States and immigration emerges as a central issue in the 2024 election.