PHOENIX — Local immigration advocates are heading to, Austin, Texas, Thursday to support the fight against a new immigration law they say will turn the state into a “deportation machine.”

The Texas law, known as SB 4, allows police officers to question detainees about their immigration status. It contains similar language as Arizona’s SB 1070, which was approved in 2010.

“This law is going to turn the state into a deportation machine, where folks and families are going to be separated and live in fear,” said immigration advocate Gilbert Romero, who is one of the Arizona immigration advocates going to Texas.

A total of about 20 people from Arizona are planning to go to Texas Thursday. They’ll join other immigration advocates in Texas to protest the new law during an event on May 29.

Arguing it would make the state safer, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB 4 into law earlier this month. The law also bans sanctuary cities across the state and requires local law enforcement agencies to comply with federal immigration laws and detainer requests.

SB 4 is set to go into effect Sept. 1, but a lawsuit filed by El Paso County could prevent it from being implemented. The lawsuit challenges that the new law violates several provisions of the U.S. Constitution.

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