Sorry, Texas: You Can't Jail and Deport People. Biden Is Right to Fight You

For anyone following the fate of Texas' controversial immigration measure SB4, Tuesday was a day of legal whiplash. After Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the law in December, the federal government sued him. As a result, the law was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in February until yesterday, when the Supreme Court ruled that it could take effect. Then last night, an appeals court blocked the law, putting it on hold for a second time. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will decide on the law's merits in April.

If all this legal maneuvering seems confusing, that's because it is. But let's not forget the bigger stakes here: Texas' law is unconstitutional and presents a threat to our government's balance of powers. The Biden administration is right to fight SB4, as the law could have implications for foreign policy, national security, and the safety of legal residents and Latinos in Texas.

Under SB4's provisions, state and local police basically have the power to arrest and jail people they suspect of having crossed the border in Texas without authorization. The law authorizes state judges to issue deportation orders.