(The Center Square) – The Texas House passed historic border bills previously passed by the Senate and in line with Gov. Greg Abbott’s call for the third special session.
After contentious debate in the House, HB 4 was passed about 4 a.m. Thursday. The bill for the first time in state history makes illegal entry into Texas a state crime and allows Texas law enforcement to implement arrest and removal procedures, including transporting illegal foreign nationals to a port of entry.
If the person who entered Texas illegally fails to comply, they face being arrested with a second-degree felony charge, which carries a prison sentence of 2-20 years.
Filed by Republican Rep. David Spiller, it’s the companion bill of SB 11, filed by Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, which passed the Senate roughly two weeks ago.
According to the bill language, it prohibits “illegal entry into or illegal presence in this state by a person who is an alien, the enforcement of those prohibitions, and authorizing under certain circumstances the removal of persons who violate certain of those prohibitions.” It makes illegal entry a misdemeanor if the person “enters or attempts to enter Texas from a foreign nation at any location other than the lawful port of entry.” The offense is increased to a third-degree felony if the person’s removal “was subsequent to a conviction from commission of two or more misdemeanors involving drugs, crimes against a person, or both.”
It passed by a vote of 84-60. Democrats filed over two dozen amendments to the bill, which all failed. more here
shit-holer heads are exploding
how did this get past the tx sphincter/speaker of the house?
Did they put an ‘aiding and abetting’ provision in the bill so Maydorkass could be removed from our lives?
“was subsequent to a conviction from commission of two or more misdemeanors involving drugs, crimes against a person, or both.”
We get TWO crimes free! Yay!
A dozen sentences of 19/11/29 will make many ILLEGALS think twice about trying to get in.
Well the cartels and their democat enablers will be PO,ed about this. Watch the fights break out now.
To little to late, our nation is already FUBAR.
You watch – the fed will make them protected federal protected employees to circumvent arrest and removal!!
Hey, here’s a novel idea. Let make something illegal that is illegal. I don’t know how these people come up with such brilliant ideas.
^ Declare the Federal Government as criminally negligent, incompetent and irrelevant. Nullify unconstitutional Federal laws at will. Kick the Federal Government out of Texas.
Don’t get me started.
Concurring with the thoughts above, it is the penalty that goes with violating the law matters if this is to be a “deterrent”. Shoot on sight? Probably not, although it is the easiest to determine.
A good start, perhaps, but I won’t be satisfied until we break out the live ammo and put a complete stop to all illegal crossings. If the other states desire illegals, they can import them by other means than passing through Texas.