Texas to arrest illegal migrants in challenge to federal govt

BBC:Texas has enacted a law that will make border crossings illegal and punishable with jail time, one of the toughest immigration laws passed by any US state in modern times.

Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said it would "stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas". Immigration advocates have said the law will lead to racial profiling. It comes amid rising illegal migration and public concern over US President Joe Biden's handling of the border. The new Texas measure is so controversial, in part, because US courts have previously ruled that only the federal government can enforce immigration laws.

Crossing the border illegally is already a federal crime, but violations are currently handled as civil cases by the immigration court system. SB4, which is due to come into effect in March, passed both houses of Texas' Republican-led legislature in November. In practice, the law allows local and state police officers to stop and arrest anyone suspected of having crossed the border illegally, except in schools and hospitals.

Punishments range from misdemeanours to felonies that can lead to jail time or fines of up to $2,000 (£1,580).

Border and immigration issues have become a political headache for President Biden.

During the 2022 fiscal year that ended in September, a total of 2.4 million migrant "encounters" were registered at the border, a record high.