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It was a temporary legal win for Texas over the Biden Administration at the border.
After a U.S. District Court last week halted Texas from enforcing its new border security measure, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is staying the lower court’s decision—allowing the law to take effect.
The state had immediately appealed U.S. District Court Judge David Alan Ezra’s ruling Thursday in favor of the federal government.
While a panel of Fifth Circuit judges granted Texas’ request for an administrative stay, they also granted the federal government’s request to stay Texas’ enforcement of the new measure for 7 days, so that federal attorneys can appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Biden Administration has appealed. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has put the bill on hold until Monday.
The new law creates a new state crime for entering Texas illegally and authorizes Texas law enforcement to arrest and prosecute those who cross the border illegally anywhere in Texas.
It was originally set to take effect on March 5th.