The Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, signed a law that makes it a crime to illegally cross the borders of the second most populous state in the USA.
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If you do not present documents, the immigrant will be arrested and deported to Mexico. If you are a repeat offender, the prison sentence can be up to 20 years.
Known as SB4, the law comes into force in March and creates a precedent for the person to be returned to the place where they began crossing into American territory — in this case, Mexico with which Texas shares an extensive 3,100-kilometer border.
In his third term as representative of the party’s hard wing, Abbott pointed the finger at the current American president’s administration, which has recorded immigration records. “The Biden administration’s deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself,” he argued.
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Therefore, in line with former President Donald Trump, the governor follows his aggressive playbook with regard to border security. Over the weekend, Trump announced the goal of greater deportation of illegal immigrants if he regains command of the American government.
It is worth remembering that the three regulations signed by the governor of Texas make up the strictest anti-immigration package in the last 20 years and should quickly come up against the Supreme Court. One of them foresees the construction of a wall costing US$1.5 billion (around R$7.3 billion) on the border with Mexico.
In an election year, Abbott’s gesture clearly challenges the federal government, which is responsible for curbing illegal immigration. Among its detractors are civil rights organizations and a group of 30 judges who challenge the constitutionality of the Texas package and promise to appeal the decision.
A staunch opponent of President Joe Biden, the governor has been stretching the ropes with extreme actions to draw attention to the flow of immigrants at the southern border. In recent months, he has dispatched more than 60,000 people who arrived in the state, destined for cities governed by Democrats.