International

Keys to the anti-immigrant law of Texas and states that follow its example

The Texas SB-4 law, considered one of the most drastic anti-immigrant measures in the history of the United States along with the SB-1070 of Arizona of 2010, has raised the tension in the border area of the United States and Mexico and has inspired other states of Republican governments to follow in its footsteps.

In the midst of the complicated legal battle between the state and federal governments, which prevented this measure from entering into force on March 5, uncertainty grows among undocumented immigrants, and also legal immigrants, because it lends itself to racial discrimination.

The measure, promoted by the governor of Texas, Republican Greg Abbott, makes it a misdemeanor that a foreigner “enters or attempts to enter the state from a foreign nation” irregularly. The detained migrant will be accused of a misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to six months in prison.

If the offender is a repeat offender, the offense becomes a serious crime, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The law allows the state Justice (different from immigration judges) to order the expulsion of the foreigner without legal process. A judge could withdraw the charges if the migrant agrees to return to Mexico.

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SB-4 also prohibits any local policy that restricts police officers from questioning a person’s immigration status, even during routine arrests such as at traffic stops, which are promoted in the so-called “immigrant sanctuaries.”

The measure requires local authorities to allocate resources such as prison space, agents and funds to implement the law.

The initiative prohibits the police from arresting immigrants in public or private schools, churches and other places of worship, and medical centers. However, it does not mention university campuses.

-Iowa: The House of Representatives of that state approved a bill on Tuesday. It would allow the police to arrest certain undocumented immigrants and order them to leave the country.

Undocumented immigrants could face up to two years in prison if they enter, attempt to enter or are found in Iowa, after they were denied entry to the United States or had been deported.

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The measure is addressed to the desk of Governor Kim Reynolds, who has given her support to the legislation.

– New Hampshire: The Senate of that state approved at the beginning of the month a bill that allows the police to file charges of invasion of private property against people suspected of having illegally entered the United States from Canada. The initiative is currently being discussed in the House of Representatives of that state.

– Tennessee: Last Friday, lawmakers from the Lower House of Tennessee approved a bill that requires police officers to report to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that they have come across an undocumented person.

– Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and North Carolina: The legislatures of these states have approved or are discussing bills similar to Texan law. They impose harsh sanctions on the undocumented under the argument that they must act to contain the arrival of migrants.

– Arizona: The governor of that state, Democrat Katie Hobbs, has a measure on her table, dubbed the Arizona Invasion Law. It would criminalize immigrants by authorizing police departments to arrest and arrest foreigners who cross the border illegally.

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This project, promoted by the Republicans and expected to veto Hobbs, would also grant immunity to the police and their departments from any legal action against them due to possible incidents that occurred while the law is being applied.

International

Trump orders U.S. control of Strait of Hormuz after failed Iran talks

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz“effective immediately,” following the collapse of negotiations with Iran held in Islamabad.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered the U.S. Navy to block vessels attempting to enter or exit the strategic waterway, a key route for global energy trade.

“The meeting went well, agreement was reached on most points, but the only really important one — nuclear weapons — was not approved,” Trump said, referring to the talks with Iranian representatives.

The president also stated that he had instructed authorities to intercept ships in international waters that had paid tolls to Iran to transit the strait, calling such payments “illegal.” He further accused Tehran of hindering an agreement by deploying mines in the area, describing the move as “international extortion.”

Trump added that the United States will undertake efforts to clear mines from the strait and expressed confidence that a future agreement ensuring free navigation could eventually be reached.

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The announcement came after Vice President JD Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner briefed the president on the outcome of the negotiations, considered the highest-level contacts between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

While Trump acknowledged that enough progress had been made to maintain a temporary truce, he criticized Iran for remaining unwilling to abandon its nuclear ambitions, calling its position “very inflexible” on the central issue.

International

Child Found Malnourished in Van in France; Father Admits Confinement

French gendarmes discovered a child in a van in Hagenbach, in northeastern France, after a neighbor reported hearing what she described as “childlike noises” coming from the parked vehicle.

After unlocking the van, officers found the boy lying in a fetal position, unclothed and covered with a blanket, surrounded by garbage and near human waste, according to a statement from the Mulhouse prosecutor, Nicolas Heitz.

Authorities said the child appeared pale and severely malnourished. Due to prolonged confinement in a seated position, he was no longer able to walk. He was immediately taken to a hospital in Mulhouse for medical care.

The boy’s father, who lived with his partner and two daughters aged 10 and 12, admitted to keeping the child confined and depriving him of proper care.

According to the prosecutor, the man said he placed the child in the van in November 2024, claiming he wanted to “protect him” because his partner intended to have the boy admitted to a psychiatric facility.

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The suspect also stated that he allowed the child out of the vehicle in May 2025 and permitted him to enter the family apartment around mid-year, when the rest of the family was on vacation.

The man’s partner—who is not the child’s mother—also faces charges, including failure to report abuse. However, she has denied all accusations.

International

Europe Faces Jet Fuel Shortage Risk Amid Hormuz Disruption

The Airports Council International Europe has warned of a potential “systemic shortage” of jet fuel if maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is not restored within the next three weeks, according to a letter reviewed by AFP on Friday.

In the document, addressed to the European Commission and first reported by the Financial Times, the European airport lobby stated that a “systemic jet fuel shortage will become a reality” in the European Union unless stable and significant transit through the strait resumes soon.

The association, which represents around 600 airports across 50 countries, called on Brussels to implement “urgent monitoring of fuel availability and supply” over the next six months.

Jet fuel prices have surged amid the conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy transport.

The conflict escalated on February 28 following joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran.

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In response, Tehran imposed several countermeasures, including blocking maritime traffic through the strait, a route through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil, jet fuel, and gas supply passes.