Borderland leaders react to Supreme Court’s decision allowing SB 4 to take effect
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to allow new Texas law SB 4 to take effect as the case goes back to a federal court in Texas. SB 4 will allow law enforcement in Texas to take anyone suspected of being in the country illegally into custody.
Now Borderland leaders are reacting to the news.
Senator Ted Cruz's office sent a statement to ABC-7 about the Supreme Court's decision.
"Today, the Supreme Court allowed S.B. 4 to be enforced while Texas continues to fight for the law in court. This was the right decision. Under Joe Biden, we have encountered unprecedented levels of illegal immigration at our Southern border, and Texas communities are suffering because of it. Joe Biden is refusing to enforce the law, and I hope that the Supreme Court will ultimately recognize the right of Texas to secure our border on our own.
My legislation, the Senate companion to H.R. 2, would help to alleviate this crisis at the federal level, so that Texas doesn’t need to secure the border alone. H.R. 2 would punish visa overstays, reform immigration parole, asylum, and legal immigration workforce issues, and prevent uncontrolled alien flow into the United States."
Senator Ted Cruz
Texas State Senator César J. Blanco released a statement.
“The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Texas’ enforcement of Senate Bill 4 is deeply troubling. Senate Bill 4 does nothing to solve the humanitarian crisis at our border and instead subjects Latinos who live and pay taxes in Texas to unjust profiling.
Although this is a disappointing setback for our diverse communities, there’s still a long legal journey ahead. I will continue calling on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform and smart border security and continue to stand against legislation that criminalizes and dehumanizes families looking for a better life.”
Texas State Senator César J. Blanco
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar released a statement in the hours after the Supreme Court's decision.
“Any implementation of SB4 - regardless of duration - is guaranteed to fuel further and more egregious civil rights violations and racial profiling in Latino communities like mine. This will create significant confusion for local law enforcement agencies, peace officers and judges, and will cause extensive damage to Latino communities in the interim until the 5th Circuit Court’s ruling.
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar
The federal government has sole authority over immigration matters, and it’s long past time that Congress reforms outdated immigration laws that can both better secure the border and open up legal pathways for immigrants. But over and over, it’s been Republicans who – since 2006 – have walked away from bipartisan solutions on this issue. Most recently, Republicans single-handedly derailed what they themselves called the ‘toughest border bill’ in any Congress.
Republicans like my colleagues in Congress and in Texas, Governor Abbott, and Attorney General Paxton, want to create chaos and exploit it for political purposes. Their posturing is inhumane, harmful, and dangerous. And the Supreme Court has given Texas the green light to cause further damage until the lower court rules.
I continue to call on my colleagues to support the Dignity Act, the only bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill in Congress, which addresses the challenges and opportunities that we face today at the border and beyond. But at home, I want to ensure El Pasoans know they can immediately report any civil rights violations that may arise due to the implementation of SB4 to SB4@MALDEF.org.”
More context on the implication of this ruling can be found here.
Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization and is often described as the “law firm of the Latino community.”
El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser released the following statement reacting to the news.
“The ruling today exemplifies the complexities of this issue by the court’s direction to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. While the City of El Paso will always follow state law, it is no secret that our Police Department is short staffed. Our law enforcement responses are always priority-driven, and our number one priority has and will continue to be public health and safety, not enforcing immigration law.”
Oscar Leeser
Mayor
Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent out a social media post immediately after the decision was announced.
BREAKING: In a 6-3 decision SCOTUS allows Texas to begin enforcing SB4 that allows the arrest of illegal immigrants.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 19, 2024
We still have to have hearings in the 5th circuit federal court of appeals.
But this is clearly a positive development.
The Mexican Government released the following statement:
"On behalf of the Government of Mexico, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the entry into force of Texas law SB4, which seeks to stop the flow of migrants by criminalizing them, and encouraging the separation of families, discrimination and racial profiling that violate the human rights of the migrant community.
As stated since the law was debated in the Texas legislature last year, Mexico categorically rejects any measure that allows state or local authorities to exercise immigration control, and to arrest and return nationals or foreigners to Mexican territory.
Mexico also questions legal provisions that affect the human rights of the more than 10 million people of Mexican origin who live in Texas, and give rise to hostile environments in which the migrant community is exposed to hate speech, discrimination and racial profiling.
Mexico reiterates its legitimate right to protect the rights of its nationals in the United States and to determine its own policies regarding entry into its territory. Mexico recognizes the importance of a uniform migration policy and the bilateral efforts with the United States to ensure that migration is safe, orderly and respectful of human rights, and is not affected by state or local legislative decisions. In this regard, Mexico will not accept, under any circumstances, repatriations by the State of Texas.
As part of its actions to protect the interests of Mexico and its nationals in the U.S., the Government of Mexico will file a friend-of-the-court brief with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, Louisiana, to provide information on the impact that this law will have on the Mexican and/or Mexican-American community, and its effect on the relations between Mexico and the United States.
Mexico has historically participated in a decisive manner as a friend of the court in litigation against anti-immigrant laws, for example, against Arizona SB1070 in 2010, Alabama HB56 in 2011, and Texas SB4 in 2017.
In addition, as part of the consular assistance and protection strategy to address this new legislation, in November 2023 a meeting was held with the consuls responsible for protection in Texas to coordinate actions in the event that the law entered into force. Similar meetings were held in January and February with the heads of Mexico’s consulates in Texas, a group called TEXCOCO.
The Foreign Ministry will continue to provide timely, humane and dignified consular assistance and protection to all Mexicans in Texas at its 11 representations in the state, in addition to the Consulate in Albuquerque, which also covers counties in Texas."
Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, Gobierno de México
