A federal judge is expected to rule quickly on the constitutionality of a Texas law about to go into effect that institutes new state penalties for illegal border crossings. During a hearing last week, U.S. District Judge David Ezra said he had concerns that other states would follow Texas’ lead in creating their own immigration laws – a power given exclusively to the federal government under the U.S. Constitution.
The Austin American-Statesman reported the U.S. Justice Department sued the state over the law set to go into effect next month. It would allow any law en- forcement official in the state to arrest someone here illegally, with mandatory sentences of between six months and 20 years.
An attorney with the Texas at- torney general's office argued the state’s immigration law should be seen as necessary because of increased illegal immigration. Ezra questioned the ramifications of Texas setting a precedent for other states to reject federal authority and create their own immigration laws.
