On Thursday, Republican State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, processed two interrupted bills onto legislation to create a border police unit and increase state spending in border communities.
Senate Bill 11 received preliminary approval from the Senate on a 19-12 vote. Before being sent to the House, the bill must pass the Senate's final vote.
Texas Senate Secures Border Amid Worsening Migrant Crisis
Birdwell introduced Senate Bill 11, establishing a new state offense for entering Texas illegally from Mexico and giving state police the authority to detain violators. The proposed law would make illegal entry in Texas border punishable by up to 180 days in jail.
According to The Texas Tribune, a first-time offender may be found guilty of a misdemeanor. If the violator has a criminal history of unauthorized entry into the country, their punishment will increase to a felony.
State Sen. Pete Flores, a Republican from Pleasanton, penned the minimum punishment for smuggling immigrants or running a stash house would increase from two years to ten years under Senate Bill 4. Senate Bill 4's vote was 29-2, garnering the support from both parties.
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Other Senators Raise Concerns Toward Texas Border Bill
Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, a Democrat from McAllen, expressed reservations over the counties' capacity to adhere to Senate Bill 11. He was concerned that the volume of persons who would be detained would overload neighborhood prisons and necessitate significant funding for detained immigrant defense.
He called the bill " impractical." However, Birdwell argued that the emphasis would be on people with criminal histories or those who might be simply recognized as cartel members.
"My concern is the State of Texas may add a layer on top of what we are dealing with in terms of both border security and a humanitarian crisis that has developed and continues to affect our communities," Hinojosa said on the Senate floor.
According to The Epoch Times, Sen. César Blanco estimated that Senate Bill 11 would cost El Paso taxpayers an additional $60,000 per day if the legislation passes.
Birdwell claimed that cash allotted during the regular session as a part of Abbott's Operation Lone Star border security strategy would pay most of its expenses.
Furthermore, Birdwell said that Senate Bill 11 may be challenged in court by the federal government, which has the sole authority to enforce the country's immigration laws. Still, if the federal government were to sue Texas, Birdwell said his bill could prevail in a judicial challenge.
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