(Washington)--The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) advises all Texas partners that the Supreme Court has extended the stay of SB 4, Texas’s deportation bill, keeping the law from going into effect until further notice. While this is temporary, it offers hope to immigrant communities and Texans who have engaged in weeks of community pressure and grassroots efforts to educate all Texans on the dangers of SB 4.
“District Court Judge David Ezra correctly ruled that SB 4 threatens the fundamental notion that the U.S. must ‘regulate immigration with one voice,” said Policy Attorney & Strategist Jennefer Canales-Pelaez. “We can hope that the Supreme Court will take the time to really read Judge Ezra’s analysis of how the federal government will suffer grave irreparable harm if SB 4 took effect, and rejecting the absurd claim that migration justifies the use of war powers.”
SB 4 would allow a broad array of so-called peace officers to arrest and detain anyone they suspect has crossed into Texas from Mexico without authorization, and would authorize magistrate judges to order them deported. In his ruling, Judge Ezra ruled that arresting and deporting migrants seeking asylum would violate the Constitution.
“To put it simply, SB 4 is unconstitutional and must be struck down,” said Canales-Pelaez. “The ILRC and its partners are committed to making sure this hateful and unconstitutional law is defeated.”
SB 4 is an extension of Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg Abbott’s unconstitutional and deadly law enforcement scheme that wastes vital state resources to target migrants for arrest, jail, and deportation. Created in March 2021 by Abbott and backed by nearly $5 billion of state funds, this operation is designed to criminalize and endanger border communities and migrants alike, many of whom are seeking safety in the United States.
The ILRC has developed this travel advisory map that also includes a “know your rights” section that is being distributed throughout Texas. This resource was developed to educate communities on their rights if they are stopped by law enforcement and the map displays the counties in Texas that have implemented policies and actions against immigrants, particularly under OLS and other anti-immigrant legislation. You can find more information on OLS at www.endlonestar.com
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The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a national nonprofit that works with immigrants, community organizations, legal professionals, and policy makers to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Through community education programs, legal training & technical assistance, and policy development & advocacy, the ILRC works to protect and defend the fundamental rights of immigrant families and communities. Follow us at www.ilrc.org, and on Twitter and Instagram @the_ILRC