The Texas Senate has recently given its approval to a bill that would mandate local sheriffs to work alongside federal immigration agents. The bipartisan effort, Senate Bill 8, led by Republican state Sens. Joan Huffman of Houston and Charles Schwertner of Georgetown, aims to reinforce the collaboration between local and federal law enforcement when it comes to identifying undocumented immigrants who are accused of crimes. According to The Texas Tribune, the proposal passed the Texas Senate with a vote of 20 to 11.
Under the proposed legislation, sheriffs from counties with more than 100,000 residents would be required to request a 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A significant component of the bill is a fund that sets aside $20 million to provide grants to sheriff's offices in counties of less than a million residents that enter into 287(g) agreements. These grants are intended to help cover costs related to the county's involvement in the program, which could include detaining individuals for potential immigration violations. Click2Houston also highlighted that the bill allows the Texas Attorney General to sue any sheriffs believed to not be compliant with this law.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has declared SB 8 among his top priorities, even before its introduction, signifying the weight of the legislative push behind the bill. As it stands, 43 Texas law enforcement agencies already have 287(g) agreements, with most utilizing the jail programs. The "task force model," which grants police limited immigration enforcement authority during routine duties, is less common but included in the agreements of the attorney general's office, Nixon Police Department, and sheriffs in Goliad and Smith counties, as reported by The Texas Tribune.
However, the bill has faced opposition from some Senate Democrats, who raised concerns about its costs and the potential for racial profiling. These concerns are not without precedent, as seen in past controversies, such as the case of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona, who was convicted of criminal contempt for defying orders to halt immigration-related raids and was later pardoned by President Trump. Still, Schwertner defended the proposal, stating, "The 287(g) program is about identifying criminality, not nationality," a sentiment captured in The Texas Tribune.
The bill must now pass through the state House of Representatives before it can be presented to the governor. If the law is passed, it’s slated to go into effect in September this year, signaling a shift towards greater alignment between local and federal enforcement in the arena of immigration throughout Texas.
