Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas is determined to stop illegal immigration into their state and on Monday he signed three new bills into law which would pour much needed money into deterring illegal immigration and allowing Texas law enforcement to arrest undocumented immigrants wherever they reside in the state.
The passage of Senate Bill 3 would allocate $1.54 billion in Texas taxpayer dollars to continue building barriers across the 1,200-mile border with Mexico and $40 million to state troopers enabling them to increase patrol of Colony Ride development, which many say is a hub for undocumented immigrants.
Texas already has contracts issued to erect border barriers and the newly allocated money would increase the fund, speeding up the building process. So far the state has built approximately 40 miles of barriers with many more miles to come shortly.
Senate Bill 4 would make illegally crossing the border from Mexico into Texas a state crime, which most likely would create a massive legal battle with the federal government. This law would go into effect in March where lawsuits would soon follow.
The passage of these laws were necessary because “Biden’s deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself,” Gov. Abbott said.
The U.S. Supreme Court has previously ruled that immigration laws can only be enforced by agents of the federal government, but many Texans hope this decision may be altered since three more conservative justices were appointed by former President Trump.
The new law makes it illegal to cross into Texas anywhere besides a designated border crossing, which if violated would be a Class B misdemeanor with a 6 month jail sentence. In the case of repeat offenders, the consequences are a second-degree felony with 2-20 years in jail. Under the law, a Texas judge can dismiss the case if the illegal migrant voluntarily returns into Mexico.