DOJ sues Texas to block new immigration law

The Justice Department sued Texas on Wednesday to block a controversial law that would allow police to detain migrants who illegally cross the U.S. border and authorize judges to order their deportation.

The Texas law is set to take effect in March.

The DOJ lawsuit, filed in a federal district court in Austin, alleges that the measure is unconstitutional because the authority to regulate immigration and manage international borders belongs to the federal government.

“Under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution and longstanding Supreme Court precedent, states cannot adopt immigration laws that interfere with the framework enacted by Congress,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta in a statement.

The policy, signed into law in December, is the latest in a series of efforts by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and fellow Republicans to test the limits of states' authority to tighten border security and stem illegal immigration.

Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A previous lawsuit challenging the immigration law filed by the American Civil Liberties Union is currently pending in a federal district court.