Texas immigration law: appeals court freezes order allowing prosecution of migrants

Move comes hours after supreme court allowed strict law known as SB4 to take effect, giving state police powers to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally

A federal appeals court has issued an order that prevents Texas from arresting migrants suspected of entering the US illegally, hours after the supreme court allowed the strict new immigration law to take effect.

The decision by the 5th US circuit court of appeals comes weeks after a panel on the same court cleared the way for Texas to enforce the law, known as SB4, by putting a pause on a lower judge’s injunction.