Supreme Court lifts stay on Texas law that gives police broad powers to arrest migrants at border

By 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)

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 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. A judge could then order them to leave the U.S.

Texas has argued it has a right to take action over what Gov. Greg Abbott has described as an “invasion” of migrants on the border.