Texas Immigration Law Sparks Legal Battle Over Migrant Arrests

Texas has passed one of the toughest immigration laws in modern times, making border crossings illegal and punishable with jail time. The law allows local and state police officers to stop and arrest anyone suspected of crossing the border illegally, with punishments ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. Immigrants rights groups have sued Texas to stop the law's enforcement, arguing that it is unconstitutional and burdensome to local governments. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has vowed to challenge the law, while the White House has stated that the federal government is responsible for determining how and when to remove noncitizens for violating immigration laws. Border and immigration issues have become a political headache for President Biden, with a record high of 2.4 million migrant "encounters" registered at the US-Mexico border in the 2022 fiscal year.