Supreme Court's Alito pauses Texas law on illegal border crossings

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Monday temporarily blocked a judicial decision that would let a Texas law take effect to give state officials broad powers to arrest, prosecute and order the removal of people who illegally cross the border from Mexico.

Alito issued his order - requested by Democratic President Joe Biden's administration - after the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday paused a federal judge's ruling that had blocked the Republican-backed Texas law.

His order is set to expire on March 13 but he or the full Supreme Court could take further action…