Photo courtesy of Christopher Connelly/ KERA News
The US Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a bill that could allow police in Texas to arrest people suspected of crossing the border illegally. Senate Bill 4 (SB4) is one of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s attempts to deter migrants from crossing the border. SB4 would allow local police officers to arrest anyone suspected of crossing into the US illegally. If SB4 goes into effect, the consequences for crossing the border illegally will result in arrest and up to six months in jail.
Texas State lawmaker Victoria Neave Criado worries that if this bill gets passed, it could lead to racial profiling and discrimination. Criado also says that the decision to arrest an individual who may or may not be here illegally is not one that local law enforcement should be making. “Local police shouldn’t determine whether a person is here lawfully or not. That’s something that falls within the federal government,” said Criado.
John Heiderscheidt, an immigration lawyer who has assisted hundreds of migrants in the Chicagoland area, said “SB4 originating out of Texas inappropriately usurps federal jurisdiction over immigration issues. This cannot be done without a companion federal legislative rubric authorizing it.”
