Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in collaboration with the Trump administration, has arrested 35 individuals for immigration violations. These arrests, stemming from Section 287(g) partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), are part of a push to significantly ramp up law enforcement's role in immigration control. Paxton stated, "Through our partnership with the Trump Administration, Texas is a safer place. Every illegal must be found, detained, and deported," as detailed in a press release from his office.
Following an executive order from President Donald Trump, early into his second term, that sought to empower state and local law enforcement in the realm of immigration control, the Attorney General's office became a proactive participant. The individuals were apprehended across multiple metropolitan areas in Texas and processed for removal by ICE. This executive order, as per the release by the Attorney General's office, looks to authorize law enforcement entities to perform the tasks traditionally aligned with immigration officers.
Paxton, describing the drive behind the arrests, claimed in his office's statement, "The invasion of illegal aliens encouraged by the Biden Administration represents one of the greatest threats to national sovereignty in our history. We will defend the American homeland by deporting the illegal aliens threatening to alter the fabric of our country." This language echoes the administration's stance on strict immigration enforcement policies, which have been a touchstone of Trump's presidency and now his second term.
Attorney General Paxton, notably the first law enforcement official in Texas to enter into a new 287(g) agreement during Trump’s current term, has taken steps to ensure that members of his office are trained to execute immigration law enforcement functions. The new 287(g) agreement, according to Paxton, enables his office to directly engage in these activities, thereby influencing the landscape of immigration enforcement in Texas.
