(NewsNation) — Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, joined NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo on Tuesday to discuss the Texas law that would allow state police to arrest migrants who cross into the United States illegally.
“The bottom line is legal immigration, which Republicans do openly support, and I believe Democrats do also, is a process that works,” Sessions said on “Cuomo.” “It works because we have a rule of law. … we believe Texas has the right and responsibility” to enforce the law.
Late Tuesday, a federal appeals court issued an order that prevents Texas from arresting migrants suspected of entering the country illegally, hours after the Supreme Court allowed the strict new immigration law to take effect.
The decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes weeks after a panel on the same court cleared the way for Texas to enforce the law by putting a pause on a lower judge’s injunction. But by a 2-1 order, a panel of the appeals court lifted that pause ahead of arguments before the court Wednesday.
Texas authorities had not announced any arrests made under the law.
Civil rights groups have opposed the law, calling it unconstitutional and arguing it violates people’s legal right to seek asylum.
Amid high numbers of crossings, the border has continued to be a heated topic of political debate. Republicans have blamed the Biden administration for failing to fix what they call a crisis on the border, while the administration has pointed the finger at Congress for failing to take meaningful action on immigration reform since the 1990s.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
