Federal Court Blocks Texas’ Extreme Anti-Immigrant Law From Taking Effect

NEWS AMERICAS, NEW ORLEANS, LA, Mon. July 7, 2025: A federal appeals court has once again blocked Texas’ controversial anti-immigrant law, Senate Bill 4 (S.B. 4), in a significant legal victory for immigrant rights advocates. Late Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a lower court’s injunction, preventing the law from being enforced as legal challenges continue.

A demonstrator waves a flag reading “resist” as he protests in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center following federal immigration operations, in Los Angeles, California on July 4, 2025. (Photo by Etienne LAURENT / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images)

S.B. 4 seeks to criminalize undocumented migrants entering Texas from Mexico, grant local law enforcement broad arrest powers based on immigration status, and allow state officers to carry out deportations — actions courts have repeatedly ruled are the exclusive domain of the federal government.

“For nearly 150 years, the Supreme Court has recognized that the power to control immigration — the entry, admission, and removal of aliens — is exclusively a federal power,” the court ruled, adding that S.B. 4 strips the federal executive of discretion in immigration matters.

Texas officials had argued the law should proceed, noting the federal government initially dropped its own lawsuit. However, the Fifth Circuit reaffirmed that private plaintiffs, including civil rights groups and local governments, have standing to sue — and declared S.B. 4 unconstitutional.

This decision extends a growing list of defeats for state-level immigration crackdowns, with similar laws blocked in Florida, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Iowa.

Advocates Warn of Harm to Immigrant Communities

Civil rights organizations and border communities hailed the ruling as a major win for constitutional protections and immigrant families.

“This ruling proves no state — not even Texas — has the power to create its own immigration laws,” said Rochelle Garza, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project. “S.B. 4 threatens to upend our Constitution, tear apart democracy, and oppress Texas communities through racial profiling.”

Cody Wofsy of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project called the decision consistent with “150 years of Supreme Court precedent,” while David Donatti of ACLU Texas said, “Immigrants belong here. S.B. 4 is plainly unconstitutional in all its applications.”

Local Leaders, Legal Advocates Applaud Block

Jennifer Babaie of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center emphasized how S.B. 4’s enforcement would interfere with organizations providing legal aid to vulnerable migrants, calling the law “unconstitutional, out of touch, and dangerous.”

Rebecca Lightsey of American Gateways added, “There is so much fear and misinformation in immigrant communities. We need to welcome people fleeing persecution — not criminalize them.”

El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez underscored the law’s harmful impact on local resources, noting, “We oppose unconstitutional actions that bankrupt communities and divert law enforcement from real priorities.”

With the injunction upheld, S.B. 4 remains blocked as the case proceeds to trial in federal district court.