Top US court pauses controversial Texas border law

The top US court has temporarily halted the enforcement of a controversial Texas border law that allowed private citizens to sue anyone aiding or assisting illegal immigrants entering the state.

The Supreme Court decision came after President Biden’s administration challenged the law, arguing that it interfered with federal immigration policy and could lead to vigilantism and harassment of immigrants and those who help them.

The law, known as Senate Bill 4, was passed by the Texas legislature earlier this year and went into effect on September 1. It allowed any private citizen to sue anyone they suspected of aiding or abetting illegal immigration, with the possibility of winning up to $10,000 in damages.

Immigrant rights groups and civil liberties advocates criticized the law as draconian and potentially dangerous, warning that it could lead to racial profiling and discrimination against immigrants and their supporters.

The Supreme Court’s decision to halt the law is seen as a victory for immigration advocates and a rebuke to Texas officials who championed the measure. The court will now consider the Biden administration’s challenge to the law and decide whether to take up the case for a full hearing.