Beginning in the spring of 2023, the state of Texas has authorized local police to detain migrants who enter the state illegally, authorizing local judges to have them deported. The new law comes after the state launched a smaller version of the program two years prior.
That initiative was supposed to slow the tide of illegal border crossings, but there is no evidence that it was successful in doing so.
What Does This Mean?
The dearth of discernable impact has civil rights organizations ready to sue the state to prevent the new law, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, from becoming law. The Republican governor Greg Abbott has signed three bills into law that will broaden border security initiatives and fund a more robust deterrent.
According to the Associated Press, Texas authorities have arrested almost 10,000 migrants on misdemeanor trespassing charges under Abbott. This law allows border landowners to detain and arrest migrants for trespassing.
These arrests have raised concerns of Constitutional and due process violations. Last month, Governor Abbott stated he may phase out the current legal precedent for the arrest as the state moves forward with illegal entry changes that are enforced throughout the state.
The governor reportedly predicted that the new laws would stop illegal border crossings in the state of Texas.
"When people start learning about this, they're going to stop coming across the Texas border," he told Fox News in July 2021.
At the time, annual illegal border crossings were predicted to be around to be around 1.2 million. That number has trended higher to 1.5 million in 2023.
