Texas Scorecard by Brandon Waltens April 24, 2026
The Fifth Circuit ruled that plaintiffs lack standing and vacated the injunction blocking Texas’ illegal entry law.A federal appeals court has lifted a block on Texas’ border enforcement law, handing the state a major procedural win in its effort to crack down on illegal immigration.
In a Friday ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated a lower court injunction against Senate Bill 4, finding that the groups challenging the law lack standing to sue.
Because the plaintiffs do not have a sufficient legal stake in the case, the court ruled, the lawsuit cannot proceed—clearing the way for the law to take effect while broader legal questions remain unresolved.
Senate Bill 4, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2023, creates state-level criminal penalties for illegal entry into Texas and gives state and local law enforcement a direct role in immigration enforcement.
The law establishes two primary offenses. First, it makes it a crime for a foreign national to enter Texas from a foreign country at any location other than a lawful port of entry. Second, it creates a separate offense for individuals who re-enter the state after having previously been deported or denied admission to the United States.
In addition to criminal penalties, SB 4 also creates a new state process for removal. Under the law, a judge may order an individual accused under the statute to return to the country from which they entered. If the person agrees to that order, the criminal charge can be dismissed.
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/appeals-court-clears-path-for-texas-to-enforce-border-crackdown-law/
