“Under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution and longstanding Supreme Court precedent, states cannot adopt immigration laws that interfere with the framework enacted by Congress,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta in a statement.
The policy, signed into law in December, is the latest in a series of efforts by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and fellow Republicans to test the limits of states’ authority to tighten border security and stem illegal immigration.
Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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previous lawsuit challenging the immigration law filed by the American Civil Liberties Union is currently pending in a federal district court.