Until now, the federal government has been in charge of enforcing United States immigrations laws, but the US Supreme Court has declined to further delay a new Texas law that allows the state to enforce its tough new immigration law giving police the authority to arrest and prosecute anyone suspected of illegally crossing the Mexican border into the United States. Illegal border crossings already are federal crimes, but the immigration system usually treats them as violations. Texas’ law allows punishments ranging from misdemeanors to felonies, with the potential of imprisonment or fines as high as $2,000. Penalties for those who illegally re-enter Texas after having been deported could range as high as 20 years in prison.