'It just slaps the federal immigration law in the face,' Judge David A. Ezra said during the first day of a trial over the legality of Texas' new law allowing state and local cops to arrest migrants.
The federal government says the new law, which allows state police to arrest people they think crossed the border illegally, violates the U.S. Constitution.
The state has until Jan. 3 to say it won’t arrest people accused of unauthorized entry from Mexico. If not, the Biden administration will sue, saying immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility.
Immigrant-rights advocates warn the proposal will lead to a jump in racial profiling, and the constitution states that immigration enforcement is the federal government's job.
Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign the legislation, which civil rights groups warn oversteps the state's authority and will lead to racial profiling.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that police chief William McManus violated a state law forbidding Texas cities from sheltering undocumented immigrants.