"Appeals Court Maintains Hold on Texas' Controversial SB4 Immigration Law"

A federal appeals court has upheld the block on Texas' SB4 immigration law, preventing the state from arresting and jailing migrants under the contentious measure while it considers its legality. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals denied Texas' request to suspend the lower court order that found SB4 unconstitutional and in conflict with federal immigration laws, and will hold a hearing on April 3 to further consider the law's lawfulness and constitutionality. The law, which criminalizes unauthorized immigration at the state level, has drawn criticism from migrant advocates, the Biden administration, and the Mexican government, with the latter denouncing it as "anti-immigrant" and vowing to reject migrants returned by the state.