Texas Lawmakers Vote To Allow Local Police Arrest Migrants

Texas, a state in the South Central region of the United States (U.S.), can soon pass a law to allow local police to arrest migrants who illegally cross the border.

On Thursday, the Texas House of Representatives, the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature, passed a bill to allow local police to arrest migrants. In a direct challenge to federal power over immigration, the bill, if passed, can make a state-level crime for migrants if they enter the country from Mexico.

The lawmakers approved House Bill 4, which would empower police officers to arrest and jail unauthorized migrants. Representative David Spiller, a Republican from west of Fort Worth, said, “It is a humane, logical and efficient approach.”

Texas migrant crisis

The Texas migrant crisis has been affecting residents. In recent months, Texas has arrested various migrants crossing the Rio Grande on trespassing charges. The migrants were taken to a jail for weeks or months before turning them over to the Border Patrol.

Last month, a Texas housing facility was reopened for migrant children. A former camp for oil workers in Pecos, Texas, was reopened to house migrant children. The Texas authorities will provide shelter to a group of unaccompanied migrants. They will also receive essential care at the migrant facility.

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Under federal law, Health of Human Services is bound to help migrants. Health of Human Services will take care of migrant children until they reach legal age. The bill is a direct challenge to federal power over immigration. The bill will now head to the Senate. If approved, the law will be passed. 

For more than two years, Texas has been enacting its own aggressive law enforcement policies in response to the surging number of migrants crossing into Texas from Mexico.

The federal government is responsible for the nation’s borders to control the migrant crisis. However, Texas tries to assert its own control on borders to solve the migrant crisis.

The bill is another attempt by lawmakers to empower Texas law enforcement officers even when the federal government has jurisdiction over immigration.

Earlier this month, the US reopened a facility to house unaccompanied migrant children. The authorities will provide shelter and food to a group of unaccompanied migrants. The same location was also used in 2021 to house migrant children. The facility was reopened near the border with Mexico.