Texas
US Supreme Court extends hold on Texas law that would allow police to arrest migrants
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday extended a hold on a new and expansive Texas immigration law that was set to go into effect at 4 p.m., preventing state law enforcement officers, at least for now, from arresting, jailing and even deporting people suspected of illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico.
With a last minute motion Monday the high court allowed the stay of Senate Bill 4 to remain in effect indefinitely as the justices consider several questions over the law’s constitutionality.
The court’s decision came just as a previous hold, which was extended by Justice Samuel Alito last week, was set to expire Monday afternoon. If the law were to have gone into effect, Texas law enforcement officers would have been able to begin arresting migrants suspected of entering the U.S. illegally and initiating deportation proceedings against them or have them face stiffer criminal penalties.
SB 4, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed in December, had previously been scheduled to take effect March 5 before rights groups and the Justice Department challenged the new legislation’s constitutionality.
However, since Alito first expressed the high court’s interest in the case by issuing an initial hold on the law on March 4, the Texas immigration provision has remained under the court’s purview.
The Legislature during a special session in November passed SB 4, creating a series of penalties for anyone suspected of illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico other than through an international port of entry. The penalties range from a Class B misdemeanor to a second-degree felony.
SB 4, which faced heavy opposition from Democrats and civil rights groups throughout the 2023 legislative calendar, also requires people accused of illegally crossing into Texas to either accept a magistrate judge’s deportation order or face a second-degree felony charge for noncompliance.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has extended its pause on #SB4 until further order,” the ACLU of Texas posted on X, formerly Twitter, immediately following the order. “We’re not backing down until this anti-immigrant law is gone once and for all.”
AUSTIN – Texas officials are rolling out a new online hub aimed at helping residents spot and report the New World screwworm, a pest Gov. Greg Abbott says threatens livestock, wildlife, and the state’s rural economy.
Abbott announced the launch of screwworm.texas.gov, an enhanced website housed in the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Disaster Portal that he described as a “one-stop shop” for information and resources tied to the state’s response.
The New World screwworm poses a direct threat to Texas livestock, wildlife, and our rural economy,” Abbott said. “This new website puts essential tools in the hands of our producers, veterinarians, and families. Screwworm.texas.gov delivers the facts, maps, identification methods, and certification resources Texans need to detect problems early and report cases without delay. Now every Texan has the information to act. Texas will protect our land, our animals, and our way of life from this pest.
According to the governor’s office, the site is designed to provide “actionable and reliable multimedia information” about the New World screwworm, including fact sheets, videos, and educational materials.
The portal includes background information, guidance on how to spot the pest, sample collection procedures, Texas Animal Health Commission New World screwworm zone maps, the U.S. Department of Agriculture case dashboard, links to best practices for livestock and wildlife, and details on registering for a new no-cost New World screwworm Certified Inspector Training.
The governor’s office said state and federal partners are working together to detect, control and contain the spread, and that expanding public outreach and providing clear information is a key part of reducing risk.
Abbott’s office also highlighted actions taken by the governor in response to the pest, including:
- Directing the creation of a joint Texas New World screwworm Response Team
- Joining USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to announce a $750 million investment in a new sterile fly production facility in Edinburg
- Issuing a statewide disaster declaration ahead of the first detection
- Deploying state resources and activating the State Emergency Operations Center after the first confirmed Texas cases
- Visiting the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville for a briefing
- Launching a free online training course to certify more inspectors
- Announcing federal funding to strengthen inspection capacity.
Texans are urged to inspect livestock and pets for wounds and report suspected cases immediately, including in wildlife.
For livestock and pets, suspected cases should be reported to the Texas Animal Health Commission’s 24-hour veterinarian call line at 1-800-550-8242.
For wildlife, reports should be made to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s 24-hour biologists’ call line at 512-389-4505. Officials also warn people not to move affected animals.
More information and updates are available at screwworm.texas.gov and screwworm.gov.
More than 150 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas have been infected with influenza over the past three weeks — a major outbreak less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American troops would no longer be required to be vaccinated against the flu.
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