ACLU Files Lawsuit Against Texas Over Law Allowing State and Local Law Enforcement to Arrest Illegal Migrants
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the ACLU, and the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) have filed a joint lawsuit against the state of Texas over a new law that will allow state and local law enforcement to arrest migrants who cross the border illegally.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 4 into law on Monday. The lawsuit was filed the following day.
The law makes it a state crime to enter Texas from a foreign nation illegally, thus making it enforceable by state and local law enforcement. After a migrant is detained and arrested, they must appear before a judge.
If they are ordered to leave the state, they will be transported to a port of entry at the Mexican border — even if they are not from Mexico and had only passed through.
