Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general of Texas, said Thursday that his state was gearing up to do the job that the Biden administration is not doing on the southern border.
Joining Newsmax's "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE," Paxton explained that Texas will take on the federal government in court over its new law allowing state police to arrest people accused of illegally crossing the border.
"We're going to arrest people that cross the border illegally, and then ... if a judge does not send them back — if we can't send them back — then it's going to end up being a felony. We're going to lock them up," Paxton said.
"If you come in and we deport you, you have to stay out, or else we will lock you up for a very long time," he added.
Senate Bill 4, signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Dec. 18 and set to take effect in March of next year, makes crossing the Texas-Mexico border between ports of entry a Class B misdemeanor.
Suspected offenders face a potential six-month jail sentence, with longer sentences for repeat offenders. However, the charges can be waived if the suspected offender agrees to return to Mexico.
Paxton also acknowledged that Republican-led states are attempting to hold the Biden administration accountable on the border through lawfare, noting "close to 20 lawsuits."
"The challenge with that is, every time we sue them, then they stop doing that one thing, and they change them up just a little, and they do something else," the attorney general said. "So, it's a moving target."
The U.S. Department of Justice said it will proceed with suing Texas if the state does not assure the department by Jan. 3 that it will not enforce the law, per a Dec. 28 letter obtained by CBS News.
"Because SB 4 is unconstitutional and will disrupt the federal government's operations, we request that Texas forbear in its enforcement," Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton wrote in the letter.
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Luca Cacciatore ✉
Luca Cacciatore, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is based in Arlington, Virginia, reporting on news and politics.
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