An Appeals Court Secures a Victory Despite Diverging from the Supreme Court’s Stance

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, known for its conservative decisions, is at the center of a heated debate over the fate of Texas’ aggressive immigration law, S.B. 4. The court, which has a majority of Republican-appointed judges, initially allowed the law to go into effect before later blocking it again. Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized the court for its handling of the case, calling it an abuse of discretion. The court’s decisions on controversial issues like immigration, abortion pills, and gun laws have often been met with skepticism by the Supreme Court, raising questions about the future of S.B. 4.