Late last week, the Texas Senate passed a bill that would give the state authority to allow state troopers to arrest illegal immigrants who enter the United States illegally.
The legislation, Senate Bill 11, is known as the “Border Bill.” If signed into law, the bill could cause first-time offenders to be convicted of a misdemeanor. But, those who have a criminal record and have repeatedly entered the country illegally could be convicted of a felony, according to The Texas Tribune.
Reportedly, the Senate passed the bill with a 19-12 vote.
“Texas is serious about filling the gap caused by Biden’s refusal to enforce the immigration laws,” Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott said of the legislation on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Texas is serious about filling the gap caused by Biden’s refusal to enforce the immigration laws. https://t.co/ONqDQaHobP
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 15, 2023
A separate bill, Senate Bill 4, would increase the minimum sentence for smuggling illegal immigrants or operating a stash house. This passed in a 29-2 vote.
This week, Abbott shared on X that Texas would also begin to install fencing along the state border with New Mexico.
“Our barriers around El Paso forced the migrants crossing illegally to enter into New Mexico. They then entered into El Paso from there,” Abbott wrote.
Texas installs fencing along NEW Mexico border.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 16, 2023
Our barriers around El Paso forced the migrants crossing illegally to enter into New Mexico. They then entered into El Paso from there.
To end that, we are building a barrier on the New Mexico border. https://t.co/y77nliGv03
Earlier this year, Abbott came under fire for installing floating buoy barriers in the Rio Grande to deter illegal immigration. In a lawsuit, Biden’s Department of Justice argued that the federal government has jurisdiction over the waterway, not the state.
"I will do whatever I have to do to defend our state from the invasion of the Mexican drug cartels and others who have tried to come into our country illegally, and I will protect our sovereignty," Abbott said of the buoys.