Texas Immigration Law Violates Constitution, Says DOJ; Threatens To Sue Greg Abbott Administration

Greg Abbott's newly-signed Texas immigration law that allows police to arrest suspected illegal migrants may have violated the constitution and may face a legal challenge from the US Department of Justice as it also faces backlash from civil rights and migrant advocacy groups, as well as the state's Hispanic community.

The DOJ has now warned Texas Governor Greg Abbott that if he enforces a new state law, which not only allows police to arrest suspected illegal migrants but also grants judges the power to rule on their cases, it will sue as enforcing immigration is the jurisdiction of the federal government, not the state government.

As The Hill noted, Abbott signed the law earlier this month, noting the migrant crisis as more and more migrants head to the US-Mexico border, undeterred by the possibility of deportation or the dangers along the way.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton told Governor Greg Abbott in the letter that the new law, which takes effect on March 5, is unconstitutional. It would also disrupt the federal government's immigration enforcement operations.

The letter also pointed out to Abbot that there is a precedent that the new Texas immigration law is unconstitutional, referencing the US Supreme Court ruling in 2012 regarding the Arizona v. United States case where it was found that "federal immigration laws often trump state law even if there isn't direct conflict."

Texas Governor Greg Abbott Claims Federal Government Not Acting on Immigration Laws

Soon after the letter was sent, Abbott slammed the DOG, claiming that Joe Biden is "destroying America." This is despite efforts by the Biden administration to get Mexico to help out with the immigration situation and beef up border security.

"The Biden Admin. not only refuses to enforce current US immigration laws, they now want to stop Texas from enforcing laws against illegal immigration," Abbott claimed on social media. "I've never seen such hostility to the rule of law in America."

According to CBS News, Texas has already stated that it is prepared to defend its new immigration law, which is also known as SB4. The row may soon end up in the Supreme Court, which has previously decided on a similar matter with the Arizona v. United States case.

New Texas Immigration Law Has Latino Community in Texas Worried

Texas currently has one of the largest Latino populations in the United States, with 40% of them making up its entire population. With the introduction of the new Texas immigration law, it could mean Latinos who are US citizens might get deported by the state of Texas just on the suspicion that they are illegal.

This new law is now sending ripple effects in one of the US's biggest Latino communities, with several rights groups now seeking to block the measure, according to CNN. This includes the American Civil Liberties Union, which has already filed a lawsuit against it.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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