Share this @internewscast.com

A federal appeals court early on Wednesday extended its hold on a new Texas immigration law, meaning the measure cannot go into effect while litigation continues.

A three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on a 2-1 vote said in a decision issued overnight that the statute, known as Senate Bill 4, should remain blocked. The same court temporarily froze the law March 19, just hours after the Supreme Court said it could go into effect.

“For nearly 150 years, the Supreme Court has held that the power to control immigration — the entry, admission, and removal of noncitizens—is exclusively a federal power,” Judge Priscilla Richman wrote for the majority.

She cited in part a 2012 Supreme Court ruling that invalided a similar law in Arizona.

Whatever the state’s criticisms about the federal government’s “actions and inactions” on immigration, it is the president’s role “to decide whether, and if so, how to pursue noncitizens illegally present in the United States,” Richman wrote.

The state law would allow police to arrest migrants suspected of illegally crossing the border from Mexico and impose criminal penalties. It would also empower state judges to order people to be deported to Mexico.

The dispute is the latest clash between the Biden administration and Texas over immigration enforcement on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Texas could potentially now ask the Supreme Court to allow the law to go into effect. In the meantime, the appeals court holds another hearing on April 3.

Richman and Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez voted to block the law. Judge Andrew Oldham voted for it to go into effect.

Richman and Oldham are both Republican appointees, while Ramirez was appointed by President Joe Biden.

It was the same lineup of judges that issued the temporary block.

Oldham wrote a lengthy dissenting opinion saying the law should not be blocked in full because of hypothetical concerns about how it would be enforced.

Because of the federal government’s struggles to control immigration, “the state is forever helpless” to respond if it cannot legislate on the issue, he said.

“Texas can do nothing because Congress apparently did everything, yet federal non-enforcement means Congress’s everything is nothing,” Oldham wrote.

A federal judge blocked the law after the Biden administration sued, but the appeals court initially said in a brief order that it could go into effect March 10 if the Supreme Court declined to intervene. In the meantime, the appeals court delayed a decision on whether to impose a more permanent block during Texas’ appeal.

The Supreme Court initially put the law on hold while it determined what steps to take, but on March 19 said it would allow the measure to go into effect, with the understanding that the appeals court would act quickly on the underlying case.

The Supreme Court’s order prompted alarm among immigrant rights activists amid confusion on the ground about whether the law could be enforced immediately.

The appeals court appeared to get the message and immediately imposed the new hold on the law while it considered Texas’ appeal of the district court injunction.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
JK Rowling Gets Final Word After Trans-Activist Attacker Ends Up Behind Bars For Child Rape

JK Rowling Responds After Trans Activist Sentenced to Prison for Child Rape

On Monday, in a post on X, the renowned “Harry Potter” author…
Islanders sign Alexander Romanov to $50M contract

Islanders Ink Alexander Romanov to $50 Million Deal

The Islanders got another piece of business done before the opening of…
Barry Morphew extradited to Colorado to face murder charges in wife's 2020 disappearance

Barry Morphew Returned to Colorado to Stand Trial for Murder Charges in Connection with Wife’s Disappearance in 2020

Barry Morphew has been transported from Arizona back to Colorado following his…
Vilano Beach Motel demolition proposal stalls

Plan to Demolish Vilano Beach Motel Hits a Roadblock

A St. Johns County Cultural Resources Board vote will stop the demolition…
New York's Historic Roosevelt Hotel Is a 'Migrant' Shelter No Longer

Roosevelt Hotel in New York Reverts from ‘Migrant’ Shelter to Historic Landmark

Winning sometimes happens bit by bit, and other times it arrives in…
Police reveal contents of mysterious black packages that washed up on pristine Florida beach

Authorities Uncover What’s Inside Enigmatic Black Packages Found on Pristine Florida Beach

As Yosemite Sam would said: “What in tarnation??” A beachgoer in the…
Sen. Chris Murphy Says Quiet Part Out Loud About Democrat Socialist Mamdani and His Party

Sen. Chris Murphy Publicly Acknowledges Unspoken Truths About Democratic Socialist Mamdani and His Party

During an interview with CNN’s Kasie Hunt, Murphy was questioned about the…
Ryan Lochte's estranged wife, Kayla Rae Reid, hints at 'betrayal' amid divorce, six-figure financial woes

Kayla Rae Reid, the estranged wife of Ryan Lochte, suggests a ‘betrayal’ as she faces divorce and major financial struggles.

Kayla Rae Reid shared a cryptic message about “betrayal” as her and…
Paramount, Trump in 'advanced' settlement talks: court filing

Paramount and Trump Engaged in ‘Advanced’ Settlement Discussions, Court Documents Reveal

Paramount Global and former President Donald Trump are in the midst of…
Industrial cereal plant multi-head weigher.

38-Year-Old Worker Tragically Dies in Factory Accident Involving Cereal Oven Used for Walmart Products

A FACTORY worker was killed in a horrific accident after getting stuck…
Kim Jong-un appearing to weep at a memorial for North Korean soldiers killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine.

Kim Jong-un Mourns Over Soldiers Lost in Ukraine Conflict

KIM Jong-un wept as he watched himself back draping flags over the…
Bryan Kohberger to plead guilty to killing University of Idaho students

Bryan Kohberger Plans to Admit to Murdering University of Idaho Students

A change of plea hearing was set for Wednesday, but the families…