For a few hours on Tuesday, a new immigration law was allowed to take effect in Texas. SB 4 enables law enforcement to arrest illegal aliens in Texas and judges to deport them.
The Supreme Court gave its nod of approval that the law could go into effect the day after Justice Samuel Alito extended a pause on it. Then, to add to the rollercoaster ride, hours after the Supremes made their decision, a federal appeals court blocked SB 4.
The Supreme Court said it could not rule on the new immigration law without the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. A three-judge panel on the 5th Circuit issued an order that blocks the law, with no explanation.
The three-judge panel was different than those who blocked the law earlier this month but said it should be allowed to take effect while a larger court battle continued.
No one seems to have been arrested under the new law during its brief time in effect. The hours were chaotic for law enforcement. Some law enforcement officers said there was no guidance from state authorities. A lawyer who trains the officials who would be in charge of deportations said he had to scramble to get guidance to them.
Border community residents were confused about the law and administrators of shelters that assist illegal aliens said their clients were gripped by "extreme disbelief and fear."
The staff of the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project, led by Executive Director Chiqui Sanchez Kennedy, said panicked clients began calling Tuesday when they learned Texas law enforcement could detain anyone they suspected of being illegally in Texas. They wanted advice if they are stopped by police officers.
When the 5th Circuit of Appeals put the law back on hold, she was happy but noted that staff and clients are still on edge. For now, GHIRP is putting together resources to help clients know their rights if they are stopped or detained by law enforcement officers. “We don’t have any certainty, so there’s not any security … that our clients their family members are safe beyond today,” Sanchez Kennedy said.
There will be lots of stories published that are meant to pull at heartstrings about the uncertainty felt by the illegal alien community. It's not just NGOs and charities that support illegal aliens in the state. Some cities have local police departments who do not intend to support the new law.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan said that compliance with SB 4 is not optional. He responded on social media when Fort Worth Police Department indicated that immigration law should be left to state and federal authorities, not local police.
Unbelievable. Compliance with state law is not optional; it is mandatory. Any local law enforcement agency that refuses to enforce Senate Bill 4 is abandoning their sworn duty to uphold the rule of law. Last year, the Legislature had no choice but to pass a law reining in rogue… https://t.co/lqhNwBeyYG
— Dade Phelan (@DadePhelan) March 19, 2024
Chief of Staff Jason Spencer of the Harris County (Houston) Sheriff's Office said enforcement of SB 4 will not be a top priority. "We make our decision on law enforcement based on public safety," Spencer said. "Immigration laws are nowhere near top of our public safety priority right now." Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo praised local law enforcement who make such statements.
"I can understand why Mexico, why law enforcement, why immigrants feel that they don't need to be used as political pawns," Hidalgo said. "And to be clear, we need immigration reform. We need a safer border. But this does neither. It simply makes headlines."
Hidalgo is not a real judge, in the traditional judicial system. The county judge in Texas is best described as the county CEO. She does not have a law degree. Hidalgo is an Colombian immigrant who came to the United States at age 15, after her family moved from Colombia to Peru and then to Mexico City. She became a U.S. citizen in 2013. Hidalgo is the first female and first Latin American to be Harris County Judge. She was elected in the blue wave that hit Harris County in 2018. She was 27 years old. She is a far-left wing progressive Democrat.
Houston is a hub for human trafficking of illegal aliens and drug cartels. Progressive activists like Hidalgo don't care. She claims SB 4 is politically motivated, not public safety. She enjoys going on CNN and MSNBC to spew forth on how she sees the situation.
What TX is attempting violates our US Constitution and the Rule of Law. There’s no reason Iowa should have concerns about migrants crossing their border yet they passed a similar bill. This is about making sure Trump can keep immigration as an issue for this presidential election pic.twitter.com/PdSTUQb6Re
— Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) March 20, 2024
Trump Derangement Syndrome is alive and well.
Harris County Commissioners Court said on Tuesday that they were also vehemently opposed to SB4. The Commissioners Court has a 4-1 Democrat majority. And, the jail system is already overcrowded due to the high crime rate under Democrat control of Houston and Harris County.
The rollercoaster ride continues in Texas. We now wait for the full hearing at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to make a determination on SB 4. And, on it goes.
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