Federal Judge Evaluates Texas Immigration Law Amid Border Crossings Decline

A federal judge heard arguments in a case where the state of Texas defended its new border enforcement law, Senate Bill 4, against lawsuits from the Department of Justice and immigrant rights groups. The law allows judges to order migrants to return to Mexico and makes unauthorized entry from Mexico a state crime. The Justice Department argued that the law conflicts with federal immigration law, while the state claimed it does not. The judge expressed skepticism about the law's provisions and the state's claims of an "invasion," and opponents warned of the law's potential statewide impact on immigrants and businesses.