US Justice Dept sues Texas over immigration law
2024.01.03 18:09
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Migrants, most from Venezuela, stand near razor wire while surrendering to authorities after wading across the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico, in Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S. October 5, 2023. REUTERS/Adrees Latif/File Photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday it filed a lawsuit against Texas to challenge an immigration law called Senate Bill 4, which the DOJ described as “clearly unconstitutional.”
The law makes it a state crime to illegally enter or re-enter Texas from a foreign country and gives state and local law enforcement authorities the power to arrest and prosecute violators. It also allows state judges to order that individuals be deported, with up to 20-year prison sentences for migrants who refuse to comply.
