March 4 (Reuters) – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Monday temporarily blocked a judicial decision that would let a Texas law take effect to give state officials broad powers to arrest, prosecute and order the removal of people who illegally cross the border from Mexico.
Alito issued his order – requested by Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration – after the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday paused a federal judge’s ruling that had blocked the Republican-backed Texas law.
His order is set to expire on March 13 but he or the full Supreme Court could take further action before then. Alito handles certain emergency matters involving cases from a group of states including Texas.
The 5th Circuit ruling would have permitted the measure, known as SB4, to go into effect even as Biden’s administration presses forward with a legal challenge claiming the statute unlawfully interferes with the federal government’s enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.
The 5th Circuit stayed its decision for seven days to give the administration a chance to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Justice Department filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Monday arguing that the 5th Circuit’s decision was wrong and that letting the law take effect would harm the U.S. relationship with Mexico and other countries.
“And beyond its disruptive foreign relations effects, SB4 would create chaos in the United States’ efforts to administer federal immigration laws in Texas,” Justice Department lawyers wrote.