Fifth Circuit Keeps Texas Immigration Law On Hold

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, has kept in place a stay of a controversial Texas immigration law that amounts to a "show me your papers law." The law, SB4, would allow Texas state and local law enforcement to arrest individuals they believe are undocumented and crossed the border illegally. The bill would also allow the Texas state legal system to bypass federal immigration enforcement when deciding whether to deport individuals arrested. 

Previously, the United States Supreme Court declined to impose a stay of the law, allowing it to take effect for just a few hours before this new 5th Circuit panel stepped in and put the law on hold. In her majority opinion, Judge Priscilla Richman wrote that the law likely violated the United States Constitution stating "it is unlikely that Texas can step into the shoes of the national sovereign under our Constitution and laws" and that "[t]he Texas removal provisions bestow powers upon itself that are likely reserved to the United States."

Read the full opinion below: