Texas Faces Lawsuit Over Provision of Border Security Law

*The State of Texas says it’s a state crime to harbor undocumented immigrants. MALDEF says that’s a federal responsibility so the Texas law violates the constitution’s Supremacy Clause. So MALDEF has sued in federal court naming Gov. Abbott as a defendant, among others. VL


TexasTribuneLogoBy Julián Aguilar, The Texas Tribune

Taking aim at a new Texas law making it a state felony to harbor undocumented immigrants, a national civil rights group announced Monday that it is suing the state.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF, filed suit Sunday against Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw and the Texas Public Safety Commission, which oversees the DPS. The group alleges that the state has violated the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause because immigration enforcement is only a federal responsibility. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of two San Antonio landlords and the director of an immigrant services agency, also says the new provision violates the plaintiffs’ guarantee to due process.

The provision in question is part of House Bill 11, a sweeping border security measure that went into effect in September.

Click HERE to read the full story.


[Photo courtesy of The Texas Tribune]

Subscribe today!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Must Read