TEXAS, USA — It has been a turbulent week for Texas’ controversial law that makes it a state crime to enter Texas illegally from a foreign country and gives state law enforcement authorization to arrest migrants suspected of entering the U.S. illegally.
The U.S. Supreme Court put Senate Bill 4 on hold but, less than 24 hours later, allowed the law to take effect.
It was law in Texas for about eight hours until the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals stopped it again.
State Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, says he’s heard from plenty of constituents who remain worried and confused.
“You have a lot of folks that are very fearful of being unjustly stopped,” Walle told us on Inside Texas Politics.
Illegally crossing the border could result in a Class B misdemeanor under SB 4 with a punishment of up to six months in jail. It jumps to a second-degree felony for repeat offenders.
And the law would require state judges to order migrants returned to Mexico if they’re convicted, a responsibility that will fall on local law enforcement.
However, the federal government and immigrant rights groups such as LULAC sued the state. They argue the law is unconstitutional because immigration is a federal matter, not a state responsibility.
Walle says nearly 5 million people live in Harris County and more than 40% have a Spanish surname.
“We don’t want a situation where we, folks that look like us are one, unjustly stopped, but two, that a lot of our immigrant communities fearful that they can’t call law enforcement when they are victims of crime as well,” Walle said.
Last year, a moment involving Rep. Walle on the House floor went viral.
He loudly and profanely admonished another lawmaker after that Republican tried to cut off debate on the controversial bill.
Walle says until SB 4’s fate is sealed, they will continue to use every legal tool they have to stop the law from being enforced.
“You cannot have a state going rogue in trying to enforce federal immigration law where they have no training, no that they don’t have any role in it, but they’re trying to usurp U.S. Border Patrol law enforcement arm of the United States,” Walle said.
Other headlines: