The federal court of the Western District of Texas issued a preliminary ruling this Thursday that temporarily blocks state law SB4, which made it a crime to cross the border irregularly.
The motion was presented by several groups in defense of immigrant rights, and was opposed by the state government;
In any case, it is a temporary decision until the court examines the merits of the matter and makes a decision, which could be appealed by any of the parties up to the Supreme Court.
Approved in mid-November by the state Congress (under Republican control) and ratified a month later by the governor, also a Republican, Greg Abbott, the law makes it a misdemeanor for a foreign person to “enter or attempt to enter the state from a foreign nation.” foreigner” irregularly.
Abbott specified, during the law signing ceremony next to the border in Brownsville, that the objective of the measure is to “stop the wave of illegal entry into Texas” so he hoped that illegal crossings at the state lines would be reduced. reduce between 50% and 75%.
“Drug cartels are not going to want to operate in Texas.”
Parts of the law went into effect on February 6, specifically the one that establishes that a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years will be imposed on those accused of trafficking undocumented immigrants.
If the crime is considered serious, the minimum prison sentence amounts to 15 years or more if there is another legal provision that is applicable to the case.