Texas Governor signs a bill that makes illegal immigration a state crime

Republican Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has signed into law a bill that criminalizes illegal entry into the state, marking a significant development in the legal battle between Texas and the federal government over immigration control.

Under the SB 4 legislation the offense will automatically be classified as a Class B misdemeanor, with a maximum jail term of six months for first time offenders and up to 20 years in prison for repeat offenders. The new law also empowers local law enforcement to arrest migrants and allows judges to issue orders for their removal to Mexico.

The Customs and Border Protection has noted a nearly triple increase in the number of migrant families with children crossing the southern border in the past two months.

After noting that the number of migrant families with children crossing into the southern border of Texas had tripled this summer, El Paso, Texas, reported handling a daily influx of around 2,000 migrants, prompting the city council to unanimously approve the purchase of a former middle school to alleviate overflow from refugee shelters.

The Latino community, comprising 40% of Texas’s population, is fearful, and civil rights and immigration advocacy groups have condemned the law.

The move comes amid heightened tensions between Abbott and the Biden administration over measures to address illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border.

Critics argue that the law exceeds federal authority, drawing parallels to Arizona’s controversial “show me your papers” law, largely rejected by the US Supreme Court in 2012. Despite opposition, the Republican author insists the Texas law is constitutional.