The state’s legal chess match with the federal government over Senate Bill 4 remains in limbo, but that has not stopped folks from sharing their thoughts.
Initially approved by state lawmakers, SB 4 allows law enforcement to arrest people for illegally crossing the Mexico border. However, it became a hot-button issue because the new law would make it a state crime to cross the Texas-Mexico border between ports of entry.
For example, if a police officer believes they have evidence a person illegally crossed the Rio Grande, that person could be charged with a Class B misdemeanor, which carries a punishment of up to six months in jail. For subsequent offenses, the person could be charged with a second-degree felony and face up to 20 years in prison.
Many have spoken out against the law, and now the government of Mexico is condemning it and saying they won’t accept anyone the U.S. tries to deport back to Mexico.
“On behalf of the Government of Mexico, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the entry into force of Texas law SB4, which seeks to stop the flow of migrants by criminalizing them, and encouraging the separation of families, discrimination and racial profiling that violate the human rights of the migrant community,” Mexico release states.
The release goes on to say how Mexico will reject any attempts to bring in “nationals or foreigners to Mexican territory” as well as question the legal legitimacy behind SB 4.
“Mexico reiterates its legitimate right to protect the rights of its nationals in the United States and to determine its own policies regarding entry into its territory,” the release continues. “Mexico recognizes the importance of a uniform migration policy and the bilateral efforts with the United States to ensure that migration is safe, orderly and respectful of human rights, and is not affected by state or local legislative decisions. In this regard, Mexico will not accept, under any circumstances, repatriations by the State of Texas.”
The new law was expected to go into effect in early March, but legal challenges from the U.S. Justice Department and immigration advocacy groups have repeatedly prevented that. Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the law to go into effect, however, just hours after it was passed, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit filed an appeal, blocking SB 4 once again.