US court temporarily halts controversial immigration law in Texas Known as a ‘thug squad’: US police officers convicted of torturing black people

According to media reports, a US appeals court initially suspended Texas’ controversial immigration law late Tuesday evening (local time) – after the Supreme Court ruled in Texas’ favor a few hours earlier.

The law is intended to give Texas authorities along the border with Mexico broad powers otherwise reserved for federal authorities. It would allow police officers in Texas to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the border from Mexico into the United States. Texas courts should therefore also be able to initiate deportations and impose long prison sentences for repeated border crossings.

On Wednesday morning, the appeals court will hear a request from Texas to temporarily reinstate the law, American media report.

The law has been controversial for a long time. Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed it in December. After lengthy legal wrangling, the US Department of Justice eventually argued before the Supreme Court that the southern US state exceeded its powers with the project – and thus caused delays.

Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling initially allowed the law to go into effect, until the appeals court halted the law again. According to American media, it was initially unclear whether any arrests had been made.

The issue of migration plays an important role in the US presidential election campaign. The latest decisions surrounding the law are likely to further fuel the debate on US migration policy. The legal dispute over the law now enters the next round. Lawsuits from the Ministry of Justice and various human rights and civil rights organizations are also still making their way to legal authorities. (rbu/sda/dpa)