A Federal Appeal Court has frozen Texas’s controversial immigration law, one of the toughest laws of its kind enacted by a US state in modern times.
Report says, the decision came just hours after the Supreme Court allowed the measure, SB4, to take effect pending an appeal.
The legislation would allow officials in Texas to detain and prosecute unauthorised migrants.
Mexico, which borders Texas, has said it will refuse to accept any migrants deported by its authorities.
Migrant arrivals at the southern US border have risen to record highs during President Joe Biden’s administration, making it a top concern among US voters ahead of November’s presidential election.
The SB4 law in Texas was due to come into effect on 5 March but the Biden government has challenged it, calling it unconstitutional.
The decision to freeze the law is the latest in a string of judicial rulings deciding its fate.
If it were to come back into effect, it would mark a significant shift in how immigration enforcement is handled, as courts have previously ruled that only the federal government can enforce the country’s immigration laws – not individual US states.
BBC/Taiwo Akinola
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