Louisiana advances bill to allow local authorities to enforce immigration laws

Bill, which passed the state senate and must still pass the house, is similar to one in Texas put on hold by an appeals court

Louisiana’s Republican-controlled senate advanced a bill on Monday that would empower state and local law enforcement to arrest and jail people in the state who entered the US illegally, similar to embattled legislation in Texas.

Amid national fights between Republican states and the Democratic president, Joe Biden, over how and who should enforce the US-Mexico border, Louisiana joins a growing list of legislatures seeking to expand states’ authority over border enforcement.