A federal judge on May 14 blocked enforcement of certain provisions of a Texas immigration law that criminalize at the state level illegal entry or reentry into the United States after deportation.
In a 78-page order, U.S. District Judge David Ezra granted a preliminary injunction sought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas and other groups pursuing a class-action lawsuit to represent thousands of people across the state seeking to challenge Senate Bill 4 (SB 4), which was set to take effect on May 15.
The injunction halts key provisions of SB 4–which Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in December 2023—that allow magistrates to issue deportation orders and make it a state-level crime for foreign nationals to reenter the United States after deportation, regardless of whether the individuals have since obtained federal permission or a green card….