Mexico condemned a decision by the US Supreme Court on Tuesday that allows a law in Texas to take affect which enables state law enforcement personnel to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border, fearing discrimination and human rights violations against migrants on US soil.
Senate Bill 4 was signed into law by Republican Governor Greg Abbott last December as a drastic measure to end what he called "an invasion." The bill allows state authorities to arrest anyone suspected of being an undocumented immigrant in Texas territory.
US President Joe Biden reportedly tried to block the bill. Biden, a Democrat, has been strongly criticized for his handling of the US-Mexico border by his Republican opponents, who have labeled his administration soft on migration.
Through its Foreign Ministry, Mexico condemned the Supreme Court’s decision to lift its hold on the law and warned of human rights violations and racial profiling.
"The Government of Mexico, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemns the entry into force of the SB4 law in Texas, which seeks to stop the flow of migrants by criminalizing them, encouraging the separation of families, discrimination and racial profiling that violate the human rights of the migrant community," said the statement.
The law criminalizes migration in the state and imposes sentences of up to 20 years for migrants detained without documentation. In addition, judges will demand that migrants return to Mexican territory, threatening those who fail to comply with up to 20 years in prison.
Under pressure from the US, the Mexican government has done its best to contain migration flows. Historically a transit country, Mexico has struggled to keep migrants within its borders.
