Republican-Led States Push to Expand Power to Curb Immigration - The New York Times

Nearly a year since Texas adopted a law empowering state and local police officers to arrest undocumented migrants who cross into its territory, Republican lawmakers in at least 11 states have tried to adopt similar measures, capitalizing on the prominence of immigration in the 2024 presidential election.

The fate of the proposals — six have been enacted or are under consideration, with Louisiana expected to sign its measure into law as early as next week — is still being litigated. In a case before a federal appeals court, Texas is defending its law by arguing that illegal immigration is a form of invasion, allowing it to expand its power to protect its borders. Federal courts have previously ruled that, from a constitutional perspective, the definition of the term invasion is limited to military attacks.

States have tested the limits of their power over immigration before, but lawyers and legal scholars said the push this year was accompanied by what had amounted to a public-relations campaign.

In campaign speeches, political ads and the halls of Congress, more Republicans are echoing former President Donald J. Trump by arguing that the rise of migration at the southern border is an “invasion.” President Biden, under pressure from both Republicans and Democrats to tackle the issues at the border, signed an executive order this month to curb asylum, and he could have more actions coming next week.

via www.nytimes.com

I'm thinking of driving down to Jacumba and doing some on-the-scene semi-demi-hemi-professional reporting. But I'm a bit concerned about encountering law enforcement, who probably don't like that sort of thing.

In other news, LWJ has a cousin from New Zealand who is a nun who helps human trafficking victims, and she's in San Diego. She met Jeanne's mom many years ago when her parents were visiting NZ. We're going to take her out to dinner. Maybe we'll learn something about human trafficking. She is said to be a very nice lady.