Civil rights organizations, immigration advocates and Democrats immediately decried the proposals, which began drawing attention after Friday's deadline for filing bills in Texas' ongoing biennial legislative session.
Since President Joe Biden took office, illegal crossings have soared. Tens of thousands of the illegals have then been released in the U.S. to pursue their cases in federal immigration court.
The Republican proposals in the Texas Legislature would continue pushing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's massive, $4 billion border mission known as Operation Lone Star. That has included the governor heavily increasing patrols near the border with Mexico.
The effort also has included directing officers to detain illegals who trespass on private property and bused thousands of illegals to Democrat-led cities, including New York and Washington, D.C.
Bills filed this session would allow a newly created unit of state police to arrest, detain and deter people crossing into Texas illegally, construct more and maintain existing barriers between Texas and Mexico and return immigrants to Mexico if they are seen crossing into Texas.
State border officers would serve at the direction of a chief, who would be appointed by the governor. According to a draft bill, which will have to pass reviews by both of the state's Republican-controlled legislative chambers before the end of May, the chief will be able to employ licensed state and local police officers to serve on the border force, as well as “law-abiding citizens” without felony convictions.
Private citizens employed by the force would be allowed to participate in “unit operations and functions” and have the same criminal and civil liability immunity on the job as the licensed officers. But, they will not have arresting power, unless trained and authorized by the governor, according to the bill’s current form.
People arrested for crossing into Texas illegally would face up to 10 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines for each violation.
The proposal cites a U.S. constitutional clause on state powers when facing invasion and imminent danger and follows numerous calls from former Trump administration officials and sheriffs in several South Texas counties for Abbott to declare what they have called an “invasion” under this clause.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican, said in a statement that “addressing our state’s border and humanitarian crisis" was a priority. Phelan said the proposed border police as well as a proposed Legislative Border Safety Oversight Committee, which would provide border safety policy recommendations and oversight to the new policing unit and work on issues in South Texas, were a “must-pass issue.”
Abbott's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tensions at the border with Mexico remain high. Over the weekend, video showed hundreds of apparent would be illegals from Venezuela brush past Mexican National Guard members while trying to cross a bridge into El Paso, Texas, before being blocked by U.S. agents.
