Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Texas Over Immigration Law, Sparking Legal Battle with Biden Administration

A lawsuit has been filed against Texas by the Justice Department over the state’s implementation of a new immigration law, SB4. The law allows state and local law enforcement to arrest, jail and prosecute migrants who may have entered the U.S. illegally. The Biden administration warned Texas that it would file a suit if Texas didn’t assure federal officials by Wednesday that they wouldn’t enforce the new state law.

The lawsuit comes days after the Justice Department threatened legal action against Texas over the measure signed last month by the Republican governor that makes it a criminal offense to enter the state illegally. The new law, set to take effect in March, makes it a misdemeanor to enter or attempt to enter Texas from a foreign country at any location other than a lawful port of entry. The state law also allows judges in Texas to issue de facto deportation orders.

The Biden administration insists that immigration-related offenses are matters for the federal government, not states. In response to the lawsuit, Texas Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said that it would be “impossible” to enforce the law. He said that it would be difficult to differentiate between those who are in the country legally and those who are not.

The lawsuit is the latest legal battle between the Biden administration and Gov. Greg Abbott over immigration. The Justice Department is seeking a court order to block the enforcement of the law, arguing that it is unconstitutional and violates federal law.

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal battles between the Biden administration and Texas over immigration. The Justice Department has also sued the state over its attempts to restrict access to the 2020 census and its efforts to limit access to the Affordable Care Act. The Biden administration has also sued the state over its voter ID law.