Texas Lawyer Admits to Court That ‘Maybe’ State Went ‘Too Far’ With Immigration Law

A lawyer defending a highly controversial Texas immigration law admitted to a federal appeals court on Wednesday that legislators might have gone “too far” when they crafted the bill that allows state and local authorities to arrest and deport undocumented migrants.

The admission was made at the second hearing before a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals three-judge panel that will determine whether Senate Bill 4 (S.B.4) can go into effect. Since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the law in December, it has faced legal challenges about whether or not it infringes on the federal government’s role in enforcing immigration actions.

If enforced, the law would allow local officers to arrest anyone they believe had entered Texas illegally and empower state judges to deport those people back to Mexico. Those arrested for crossing illegally would face a Class B misdemeanor, which carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail. Mexico has previously said that it would not accept migrants sent by Texas, further calling into question how this law would be enforced.

Read more at The Daily Beast.