A federal appeals court in the United States has allowed Texas to implement a controversial state law granting local authorities the power to arrest and deport individuals suspected of entering the country illegally through the US-Mexico border. The New Orleans-based Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals issued the ruling on Friday, overturning a previous injunction imposed by a district judge in Austin on May 14. The earlier order had blocked the law following a lawsuit filed by civil rights groups.

District Judge David Ezra had previously ruled that the Texas law unlawfully challenged the federal government’s exclusive authority over immigration and deportation. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed the injunction, leading to the appellate court’s decision to lift the block. The 2023 law, known as SB 4, allows state magistrates to order deportations and criminalizes reentry into Texas even with federal permission.

Following the ruling, the American Civil Liberties Union, its Texas branch, and the Texas Civil Rights Project expressed disappointment and vowed to continue their legal fight against what they called an unlawful measure.