Immigrant rights organizations have sued Texas after Gov. Greg Abbott approved one of the strictest state immigration enforcement laws, which authorizes police to arrest immigrants suspected of crossing the border illegally.

In their lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Texas Civil Rights Project claim that Senate Bill 4, which Abbott signed on Monday and is scheduled to take effect March 5, violates the U.S. Constitution because Congress has given the federal government sole authority over immigration enforcement.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in an Austin federal court, says SB 4 would prevent immigrants from requesting asylum in the U.S., a right they have regardless of how they enter the country.

The groups filed the lawsuit on behalf of El Paso County and two immigrant rights organizations — El Paso-based Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and Austin-based American Gateways. The groups are asking a federal judge to prevent Texas from implementing SB 4 and declare it unlawful.....

The new law would make it a state crime to cross the Texas-Mexico border between ports of entry. Police who suspect that a person crossed the border illegally can arrest them and charge them with a Class B misdemeanor, which carries a punishment of up to six months in jail. Repeat offenders could face a second-degree felony with a punishment of two to 20 years in prison.