Mexico on Thursday filed a brief with a U.S. court, urging it to block a controversial Texas law that would permit the arrest of those suspected of having crossed into the state illegally. File Photo by Mark Otte/Texas Army National Guard/UPI |
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March 22 (UPI) -- Mexico is urging a U.S. federal court to block a controversial Texas law from tacking effect, arguing it will have negative consequences for the Mexican community and bilateral relations with the United States.
Texas is seeking to make it a criminal offense to illegally cross into Texas via the Texas-Mexico border. Those convicted could face jail time, deportation or both. The bill, titled Senate Bill 4, was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in December, but has been locked in litigation.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is considering to allow the bill's enforcement amid ongoing litigation concerning its constitutionality.
Mexico has been a staunch critic of the law and has vowed to not accept any deportations from Texas.
On Thursday, it filed a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that S.B. 4 could lead to the harassment, arrest and expulsion of Mexican citizens as well as those who simply look Latino.
S.B. 4 violates Mexico's sovereign right to determine its own policies, conflicts with precedent that states immigration is the federal government's responsibility and if enacted would negatively affect bilateral collaboration and dialogue on border issues, the North American country said in the document.
Mexico continued that the law is already causing "significant fear and concern among Mexican nationals living in Texas."
"Mexico is deeply concerned that S.B. 4 will be applied in a discriminatory manner and fears that its enforcement will lead to improper harassment, detention, removal and criminalization of Mexican citizens and individuals of Latino appearance," it said.
"If S.B. 4 is permitted to take effect, Texas would become a 'show me your papers' state, unconstitutionally restricting freedom and diminishing the civil and constitutional rights and dignity of Latinos who live in and visit Texas."
Mexico said it is advising nationals who live or wish to travel to Texas to be informed about their rights concerning racial profiling and anti-immigrant and discriminatory acts.
Litigation over S.B. 4 comes amid a protracted fight between Abbott and the Biden administration over immigration.
The Republican governor has blamed the policies of President Joe Biden for the influx of migrants that have crossed the U.S. southern border and has employed a series of punitive actions in response, including the bussing of migrants to Democrat-led cities.
Abbott has argued that S.B. 4 is necessary to defend itself from "President Biden's ongoing failure to fulfill his duty to protect the state of Texas from the invasion at our southern border."
The White House has rebutted that S.B. 4 will not only make Texas less safe but will also be a burden on those protecting the southern border.
