Current:Home > ContactUS Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas says Texas immigration law is unconstitutional-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
US Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas says Texas immigration law is unconstitutional
lotradecoin trends View Date:2024-12-25 16:43:36
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday that a Texas law giving state authorities the power to arrest and deport migrants who have entered the country illegally is unconstitutional.
“It is our strongly held view as a matter of law that SB4 (the Texas law) ... is unconstitutional and it is our hope and confidence that the courts will strike it down with finality,” Mayorkas said during a joint news conference with Guatemala President Bernardo Arévalo in the Guatemalan capital.
The Texas law passed last year would allow the state to arrest and deport people who enter the U.S. illegally. The U.S. Justice Department has challenged the law as a clear violation of federal authority.
A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments on the Texas law Wednesday, but did not rule. The law is on hold for now.
In an interview with The Associated Press later Thursday, Mayorkas added that “Should SB4 be permitted to proceed, we are very concerned about the effect it would have and the chaos that it could bring to the challenge of border migration.”
Mayorkas described the U.S.-led regional strategy toward immigration as seeking to “build lawful, safe and orderly pathways for people to reach safety from their place of persecution and, at the same time, returning people to their countries as a consequence when they do not take advantage of those lawful pathways.”
Among those safe pathways is a U.S. effort to streamline the process for those seeking U.S. asylum in the region through so-called safe mobility offices. They allow migrants to start the process where they are rather than making the dangerous and costly journey to the U.S. border.
Guatemala’s safe mobility office, unlike some others like Colombia’s, is only open to Guatemalans seeking U.S. protection. One of the requests made by Mayorkas’ delegation was that Guatemala allow the safe mobility office to process requests for migrants from other countries, according to a Guatemalan official who requested anonymity because the issue was still under discussion.
Asked during the joint news conference if the U.S. government had asked Guatemala to sign a safe third country agreement, which Guatemala’s previous president had agreed to during the Trump administration, Mayorkas did not directly answer. Such an agreement would require migrants from other countries passing through Guatemala to seek protection from the Guatemalan government rather than at the U.S. border.
Asked again in the interview with the AP, Mayorkas said that Guatemala could be a safe destination for some migrants, but that he deferred to Arévalo’s administration on that.
The U.S. has sought to improve cooperation with countries along the migrant route, including Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador, but Mayorkas acknowledged that it has been more challenging in Nicaragua and Venezuela, where the U.S. has strained relations with those governments.
Arévalo explained the talks in similar terms. “We are operating under the principle that the immigration phenomenon is a regional phenomenon and that for that reason has to have answers framed in the collaborative efforts of different countries,” he said.
Mayorkas also offered words of support for the Guatemalan leader, whose election victory last year was challenged and whose party still faces prosecution from Guatemala’s attorney general.
“We know that the forces of corruption continue to seek to threaten democracy and the well-being of the people of Guatemala and beyond,” Mayorkas said. “The United States stands with President Arévalo and his fight for democracy against the forces of corruption and for the people of Guatemala.”
___
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
veryGood! (32)
Related
- As Baltimore’s Sewer System Buckles Under Extreme Weather, City Refuses to Help Residents With Cleanup Efforts
- Delta Air Lines says cancellations continue as it tries to restore operations after tech outage
- Pelosi delivers speech to NC Democrats with notable absence — Biden’s future as nominee
- South Sudan's near-upset shows blueprint for Olympic success against US
- Australian Olympic Committee hits out at criticism of controversial breaker Rachael Gunn
- Fastest blind sprinter in US history focuses on future after 100 win
- Brittney Griner announces birth of first child: 'He is amazing'
- How much water should a cat drink? It really depends, vets say
- 'Love Island UK' stars Molly-Mae Hague, Tommy Fury announce split after 5 years
- Tampa Bay Rays put top hitter Yandy Diaz on restricted list
Ranking
- Bristol Palin Shares 15-Year-Old Son Tripp Has Moved Back to Alaska
- Why Jim Leyland might steal the show at Baseball Hall of Fame ceremony
- Baseball 'visionary' gathering support to get on Hall of Fame ballot
- Man in custody after 4 found dead in Brooklyn apartment attack, NYPD says
- Usher Cancels Atlanta Concert Hours Before Show to Rest and Heal
- Investors are putting their money on the Trump trade. Here's what that means.
- As 'Twisters' hits theaters, experts warn of increasing tornado danger
- British Open Round 3 tee times: When do Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry tee off Saturday?
Recommendation
-
Bristol Palin Shares 15-Year-Old Son Tripp Has Moved Back to Alaska
-
Day of chaos: How CrowdStrike outage disrupted 911 dispatches, hospitals, flights
-
Village in southern New Mexico ravaged by wildfires last month now facing another flash flood watch
-
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich sentenced by Russian court to 16 years in prison
-
Don't be fooled by the name and packaging: Fruit snacks are rarely good for you. Here's why.
-
Day of chaos: How CrowdStrike outage disrupted 911 dispatches, hospitals, flights
-
Bronny James, Dalton Knecht held out of Lakers' Summer League finale
-
Jake Paul rants about Dana White, MMA fighters: 'They've been trying to assassinate me'