As this publication reported yesterday, the Supreme Court allowed a stay on Texas’ S.B. 4 which criminalizes as a state crime, crossing the Texas border illegally. This meant that the Supreme Court would allow Texas to enforce this state law and rejected a Biden Administration appeal to override the law until the case could be heard in detail by the higher court.
BREAKING: Texas can enforce immigration law making it a state crime to cross the border illegally @CourthouseNews pic.twitter.com/u0SCvfR8em
— Kelsey Reichmann (@KelseyReichmann) March 19, 2024
However, a mere four hours after SCOTUS allowed the stay, 5th Circuit Court of Appeals panel dissolved a pause that it issued in early March which reinstated a ruling from U.S. District Court Judge David Ezra in February who found S.B.4 to be unconstitutional. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will now hold oral arguments today on a proposed stay on S.B.4.
BREAKING: Fifth Circuit schedules oral argument on the motion for a stay pending appeal in the Texas SB4 case for 10a CT Wednesday. (Meaning, the merits panel could end the admin stay and grant or deny a stay pending appeal.) Background at Law Dork: https://t.co/XA6qddae1M pic.twitter.com/kjUSjZdUUY
— Chris “Law Dork” Geidner (@chrisgeidner) March 19, 2024
However, the most telling development from this legal drama has not been domestic, but rather foreign, as the Mexican Foreign Secretary has weighed in on Texas’ efforts to arrest illegal immigrants. Mexican Foreign Minister Barcena took to her X account to decry Texas as “attacking the human rights of migrants” and also stated that Mexico would not accept repatriation of any foreign nationals, including Mexicans, arrested by Texas authorities. Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretariat confirmed this in his X post.
La Ley SB4 de #Texas sorpresivamente entra en vigor hoy. Atenta contra los derechos de los migrantes. Al frente de @SRE_mx he sido clara: la protección y apoyo a nuestros connacionales es la prioridad. Rechazo esta medida que criminaliza y discrimina a personas que n movilidad.
— Alicia Bárcena (@aliciabarcena) March 19, 2024
México externa su rechazo a la decisión de la Suprema Corte de ?? por la entrada en vigor de la ley SB4. Nuestro país no aceptará repatriaciones por parte del estado de Texas. El diálogo en materia migratoria continuará entre los gobiernos federales de ?? y ??.
— Roberto Velasco Álvarez (@r_velascoa) March 19, 2024
The official announcement reads below:
This announcement that the Mexican government will appear as Amicus curiae to the 5th Circuit is not abnormal, but in such a hyper-partisan domestic matter in the United States, the Mexican government’s rhetoric is surprising considering these migrants come through Mexican territory to get to Texas.
