On Hold: Justice Alito Extends Stay of Texas Immigration Law That Would Allow Detention of Illegals

Grab your whiteboards and dry-erase markers for this one, because you may want to draw a diagram.

The crux of the story is this: On Monday, Justice Samuel Alito issued an order extending the stay first issued by the Supreme Court on March 4, which prevents Texas SB4 from going into effect.

The law allows state law enforcement officers to arrest and detain those suspected of entering the country illegally. Initially, it was set to go into effect on March 9th, but the Biden administration and various immigration advocacy groups sued the state over the law.

In late February, Federal District Court Judge David Alan Ezra entered an injunction blocking the law from going into effect. Then, Texas appealed that decision and, in early March, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of that ruling, which would have allowed the law to go into effect...but the Fifth Circuit placed a hold on their own ruling to allow the plaintiffs a chance to appeal to the United States Supreme Court — which they promptly did.

#BREAKING: Supreme Court extends pause on Texas law allowing state police to arrest migrants https://t.co/RYyqnZw9M0
— The Hill (@thehill) March 18, 2024

The Supreme Court then issued an order temporarily staying the Fifth Circuit ruling. The High Court has since extended that stay twice — first, on March 12, extending it to March 18, and now, Monday, extending it indefinitely.

So, for now, Texas SB4 will remain on hold while the case works its way through the appellate courts on the merits.

Supreme Court Places Texas Immigration Law on Hold