The White House condemned the “harmful” law, while Republicans cheered the Supreme Court’s action.
Reactions to the Supreme Court’s decision, which allowed a controversial immigration law to take effect in Texas, reflected the country’s deep partisan divides on immigration policy. Within minutes of the order on Tuesday, the state’s Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton celebrated on social media, calling it a “HUGE WIN.”
The Biden administration opposed its introduction Senate Bill 4law that allows police officers in Texas to arrest unauthorized migrants, described the measure as “harmful and unconstitutional” and disagreed with the court’s order.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said in a statement that the law is “just another example of Republican officials politicizing the border while blocking real solutions.”
“SB 4 will not only make Texas communities less safe,” she said, “it will also burden law enforcement and sow chaos and confusion at our southern border.”
The law, passed by the Texas Legislature, makes it a crime to enter the state from a foreign country at anything other than a legal port of entry. In siding with Texas, the court continued its conflict with the Biden administration, which has challenged the law as an unconstitutional intrusion on the federal government’s power to enact and enforce immigration laws.
Senate Republicans, who earlier this year rejected the tough border security restrictions they themselves had called for, took a triumphant tone on social media after the ruling, saying on X that the court had allowed Texas to do President Biden’s job – enforcing border security laws – “because he refuses to.” They declared victory for “those who believe in the rule of law and secure borders.”
Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a Republican, responded with a more measured response, citing the appeals process but still saying that “this is clearly a positive development.”
Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who represents San Antonio, said the court had undermined his credibility and called the law “an alarming state overreach” that could lead to civil rights violations across Texas.
“At a time of rising anti-Hispanic violence, this law puts a target on the back of anyone perceived by law enforcement as an immigrant,” Castro said in a statement. “While we await the final ruling from the Supreme Court, I will do everything I can to help Texans understand their rights and navigate the dangerous climate that Governor Abbott and Republicans have created.”
J. David Goodman, Edgar Sandoval And Adam Liptak reporting contributed.