Supreme Court temporarily blocks Texas law allowing state arrests of immigrants

State of play: An appeals court had previously ruled that the law, dubbed SB 4, could take effect.

• Monday's order issued by conservative Justice Samuel Alito halted the lower court's order and blocked the ruling until March 13 so that the high court can make a determination.
• Alito also ordered Texas officials to respond to an application to vacate the administrative stay by March 11.

Context: Under SB 4, it's a state misdemeanor to illegally cross the border and a second-degree felony for illegal re-entry, with punishments ranging from 180 days in jail to 20 years in prison.

• The law also allows a judge to order an undocumented person "to return to the foreign nation from which they entered."
• Republican Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who had sharply criticized the Biden administration over its handling of an influx of immigrants at the southern border, signed SB 4 into law on Dec. 18.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.