Divided Supreme Court lifts stay on a Texas law giving police broad powers to arrest migrants

By Lindsay Whitehurst, The Associated Press on March 19, 2024.

FILE - The Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 4, 2024. Federal courts moved Tuesday, March 12, to make it harder to file lawsuits in front of judges seen as friendly to a point of view, a practice known as judge shopping that gained national attention in a major abortion-medication case. That ruling has been halted by the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) – A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a stay on a Texas law that gives police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally while a legal battle over immigration authority plays out.

The Biden administration is suing to strike down the measure, arguing it’s a clear violation of federal authority that would hurt international relations and create chaos in administering immigration law.

The law allows any police officer in Texas to arrest migrants for illegal entry. A judge could then order them to leave the U.S. Texas has argued it has a right to take action over what Texas authorities have called a crisis at the southern border.

The battle over the Texas immigration law is one of multiple legal disputes between Texas officials and the Biden administration over how far the state can go to patrol the Texas-Mexico border and prevent illegal border crossings.

Gov. Greg Abbott has described the situation at the border as an “invasion” of migrants.