As of mid-November 2023, the Texas Legislature is in its fourth special session of the year, called by Governor Greg Abbott to enact severe border security legislation as part of his expansive "Operation Lone Star" plan. One bill, H.B. 4, would create a state crime for undocumented entry into Texas from Mexico and allow state law enforcement officers to arrest individuals or order them back across the border. Volume XLV staff editor Colleen Kemp examines H.B. 4 in light of Arizona v. United States, a 2012 US Supreme Court case concerning federal law preemption of state law in immigration matters, and the Mexican government's critical response to the proposed state actions.
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