Appeals court to decide if Texas immigration law violates constitution
Newsy
The law remains on hold as the U.S. Justice Department is suing, arguing Texas is trampling on federal authority to enforce the nation's immigration.
A Texas law that would authorize police to arrest and detain migrants suspected of illegally crossing the border from Mexico remains on hold as it proceeds through the appellate process. The law known as SB4 applies to all of Texas' 254 counties.
In rural conservative Texas there's strong support for it. However, in Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city, with 45% of the population having Hispanic heritage, the fear of the law is palpable among many. There's a belief that if the law is found constitutional, it would be used in racial profiling.
"My district, District 1, is about 75% Latino," said Joaquin Martinez, a Houston City Council member.
Martinez says fear amongst Spanish-speaking immigrants in his neighborhood regardless of their immigration status is palpable.
"Now you're just targeting a specific community," Martinez said, "In a way where you're asking everybody to start investing in this and creating this fear."
