Governor Greg Abbott signed A bill was introduced late last year that would allow state and local authorities to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. The bill is still pending due to legal back-and-forth between courts.
SB4 Crossing the border without permission would be a national crime. State and local police officers would have the power to arrest people suspected of crossing the border illegally without asking about their immigration status.
“This law is badly written. It's terrible,” attorney Haim Vasquez said. Said. “The law addresses current and future processes that undocumented immigrants may pursue through immigration court and affirmative work, such as marriage, potential asylum, work authorization while on parole, or family petitions by siblings. I don’t take into account children, spouses, etc.”
Anyone convicted of illegally crossing Paid A Class B misdemeanor conviction punishable by up to six months in prison. If it is a second offense, the maximum penalty is 20 years in prison.
“I think we're going to be very selective about the cases we take,” said Culberson County Sheriff Oscar Carrillo, whose jurisdiction runs along the West Texas border. Said. “As we speak today, our jails are full. The decision to incarcerate illegal aliens and charge them with misdemeanors will need to be discussed with my county attorney.”
Those convicted under SB 4 may have their charges dismissed if they voluntarily agree to return to Mexico. If you are convicted and serve your sentence, you will be deported from the country after serving your sentence. The bill also allows courts to deport immigrants to Mexican ports of entry, regardless of where their home country is located.
The U.S. Supreme Court allowed several hours of enforcement of the law during deliberations, but lower courts pulled It repealed the law and called for a public hearing. SB 4 is on hold while the Court of Appeals considers it.
“This is a landmark bill that will allow Texas to protect Texans, deport illegal immigrants, and prosecute and jail those who refuse to leave the country,” said SB 4's sponsor. said Dave Spiller. Said.
Texas is sued SB4 is being sued by the Biden administration and other immigrant rights groups, who argue that the bill is unconstitutional because it interferes with federal immigration law, but federal courts have ruled that role falls within the federal government's authority. Says.
“We know that this law will increase racial profiling. We know that this law will strip people of their constitutional rights. We know that this law will increase racial profiling. We know that it also leads to the mass criminalization of our communities,” said Alan Lizarraga, spokesperson for the Human Rights Border Network. Said.
SB 4 is not the first of its kind.in year 2012Arizona tried to pass a law It aimed to create a national level offense for immigration crimes, allowing local law enforcement to check citizenship status and arrest people suspected of entering the country illegally. This was known as Arizona v. United States, and resulted in a 5-3 decision to side with the federal government, repealing most of the legislation proposed by Arizona.
For more information on SB 4, please visit: Bill analysis website.
