US federal court stops enactment of controversial Texas immigration law

A federal appeal court in the United States has temporarily stopped the enactment of the controversial Texas immigration law, just hours after it was passed by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, The Guardian reported.

Under the senate bill 4 (SB 4), the Lone Star state police were given the liberty to arrest illegal immigrants and send them back to their country. They were also given the right to detain whoever they suspected of crossing.

The contentious bill passed by the Republican majority Texas state was blocked last month by the top US court on the basis that it "conflicts with key provisions of federal immigration law."

However, on Tuesday, the high court with a 6-3 conservative majority vote lifted its hold, allowing it to be enacted.

The Supreme Court had rejected an appeal by the Joe Biden administration, which claimed that the federal government had authority over immigration matters and not individual states, AFP reported. 

The White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in a statement said, "We fundamentally disagree with the Supreme Court's order allowing Texas' harmful and unconstitutional law to go into effect."

"SB 4 will not only make communities in Texas less safe, it will also burden law enforcement, and sow chaos and confusion at our southern border," Jean-Pierre said. "SB 4 is just another example of Republican officials politicizing the border while blocking real solutions."

The government of Mexico "categorically rejected" the law, saying they will not "under any circumstances" be accepting the return of any migrants.