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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 20 december 2023

Groups sue over new Texas law that lets police arrest migrants

who enter the U.S. illegally

constitutional because the the head of the Texas De- email Tuesday, adding that
federal government has partment of Public Safety, he was willing to take the
sole authority over immi- whose troopers could ar- case to the Supreme Court.
gration. rest migrants, and the El White House press secre-
The American Civil Liber- Paso County district attor- tary Karine Jean-Pierre criti-
ties Union, its Texas branch, ney, whose office would cized the law, but wouldn't
and the Texas Civil Rights potentially prosecute cases say whether the Justice De-
Project sued less than 24 in that border community. partment would also chal-
hours after Republican A DPS spokesperson de- lenge it.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed clined to comment in an "This is an extreme law that
the measure during a cer- email Tuesday, citing the will not and does not make
emony on the U.S.-Mexico pending litigation. A person the communities in Texas
border in Brownsville. who answered the phone safer," Jean-Pierre said. She
The civil rights groups filed in Hicks' office said he was added that the purpose of
the lawsuit on behalf of El not available and had no the law was to "demonize
Migrants wait to climb over concertina wire after they crossed Paso County and two im- immediate comment. immigrants and also de-
the Rio Grande and entered the U.S. from Mexico, Saturday, migrant aid groups seeking Abbott and other Texas Re- humanize immigrants" and
Sept. 23, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. to block enforcement of publicans who support the said "communities should
Associated Press the measure, known as SB measure say President Joe not be individually targeted
By ACACIA CORONADO migrants who cross the bor- 4, and declare it unlawful. Biden isn't doing enough and put into harm's way."
Associated Press der illegally and permit lo- "S.B. 4 creates a new state to control the 1,950-mile According to Tuesday's
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Civil cal judges to order them to system to regulate immi- (3,149-kilometer) southern lawsuit, DPS Director Steve
rights organizations on Tues- leave the country. gration that completely border. "In his absence, McGraw told lawmakers
day filed a lawsuit chal- The lawsuit, filed in federal bypasses and conflicts with Texas has the constitutional that his agency estimates
lenging the constitutional- court in Austin, argues that the federal system," the authority to secure our bor- approximately 72,000 ar-
ity of a new Texas law that the measure that is set to lawsuit states. der through historic laws rests will be made each
would allow police to arrest take effect in March is un- The lawsuit was filed against like SB 4," Abbott said in an year under the measure.q

South dominates U.S. population gains as deaths drop

By MIKE SCHNEIDER in 2023 since there were
Associated Press almost 1,300 more deaths
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — than births.
South Carolina and Florida Florida had the next high-
were the two fastest-grow- est growth rate at 1.6%,
ing states in the U.S., as the adding more than 365,000
South dominated popu- residents. That was also the
lation gains in 2023, and second-highest growth in
the U.S. growth rate ticked terms of raw numbers. Only
upward slightly from the Texas surpassed it, gaining
depths of the pandemic more than 473,000 people.
due to a drop in deaths, Of the 50 states, New York
according to estimates re- had the biggest rate of
leased Tuesday by the U.S. population decline, losing
Census Bureau. 0.5%. It also recorded the
The United States added largest decline in pure num-
1.6 million people, of which bers, with a drop of almost
more than two-thirds came 102,000 residents. It was a
from international migra- much smaller decline for
tion. The half percent the Empire State than last
growth rate was a slight up- year’s 180,000-person drop.
tick from the 0.4% growth California was still the na-
rate last year and the less tion’s most populous state,
than 2% increase in 2021. with 38.9 million residents,
The growth rate “is an up- The Miami skyline is viewed from the Rickenbacker Causeway in South Florida, Dec. 15, 2023. though it lost more than
Associated Press
tick from the pandemic but 75,000 residents this year.
still low by historical stan- natural increase to more nation experiencing its larg- rose by more than 90,000 The decline was an im-
dards,” said William Frey, a than 500,000 people in est population gain since residents, resulting in a 1.7% provement from the more
demographer at The Brook- 2023. However, it was the 2018,” said Kristie Wilder, a growth rate that topped than 113,000-person drop
ings Institution. 1.1 million immigrants who Census Bureau demogra- all other states. More than last year. Texas was the sec-
Population gains or losses drove population gains in pher. 90% of the growth came ond most populous state
come from births outpac- the U.S. this year, accord- The vast majority of growth, from domestic migration, with 30.5 million residents.
ing deaths, or vice versa, ing to estimates that mea- 87%, came from the South, or people moving from For the first time, Georgia,
and migration. sure change from mid-2022 a region the Census Bureau another U.S. state to South surpassed 11 million people
There were about 300,000 to mid-2023. defines as stretching from Carolina. Without domestic in 2023, joining seven other
fewer deaths this year “Ultimately, fewer deaths Texas to Maryland and Del- and international migra- states above that popula-
compared with a year ear- paired with rebounding aware. tion, the Palmetto State tion threshold.q
lier. That helped double the immigration resulted in the South Carolina’s population would have lost population