Mexico condemns US top court’s decision to uphold Texas border law

Mexico has condemned a decision by the US Supreme Court that allows a law in Texas to take effect 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 criticised for his handling of the US-Mexico border by his Republican opponents, who have labelled 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 criminalising them, encouraging the separation of families, discrimination and racial profiling that violate the human rights of the migrant community," said the statement.

'Hostile environment'

The law criminalises 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.

Asylum requests in Mexico rose by 18.2 percent in 2023 to 140,982, reaching historic levels.

Meanwhile, migration flows continue to rise. The Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid (COMAR) said Tuesday that thousands of migrants, mainly from Haiti and Honduras, had camped outside their offices waiting for help in the south of the country.

The Mexican government also expressed concern over the more than 10 million Mexicans living in Texas.

"Mexico also questions legal provisions that affect the human rights of the more than 10 million people of Mexican origin residing in Texas, generating hostile environments in which the migrant community is exposed to hate speech, discrimination and racial profiling," it said.