WASHINGTON: The Governor of US southern state of Texas has signed a new law permitting the arrest of the people illegally crossing the border with Mexico, Western media reported on Tuesday.
Greg Abbott during a press conference said that Biden’s deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself.
The law, known as SB 4, will be implemented in March and create a new state crime for illegal entry or re-entry into Texas, with penalties ranging from 180 days in jail to 20 years in prison.
Under the new law, Texas magistrate judges will be required to order migrants to return back to Mexico or face upto 20-year sentences if they refuse to comply.
Migrants who cross border illegally can already be charged with illegal entry or re-entry under federal laws but Texas governor has criticized US President Joe Biden for failing to enforce them.
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Abbott also signed a bill that would allocate $1.5 billion to border wall construction and other operations. The Republican governor signed into law a measure in late November to increase penalties for human trafficking.
Record numbers of migrants have been apprehended while crossing the US-Mexico border since Biden, a Democrat, took office in 2021. Abbott and other Republicans accuse Biden, who is seeking re-election in 2024, for rolling back restrictive policies of former President Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican Party.
In the US Congress, Republicans have said they will not approve a foreign assistance package that includes military funding for Ukraine and Israel unless it includes strict new US border security provisions.
