𝟴𝟵𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗦 𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗦 𝗧𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗡𝗨𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗦 𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗦 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗗 𝗢𝗡 "𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬"

From the editor:  Well, the Texas Legislature, it's 89th, got off to a great start Tuesday, introducing a bunch of bills dealing with "border security," a veritable Trumpfest. 

While border security is a federal issue, the good ol' boys of the legislature want to increase punishment for migrants, build a "Texas" border wall, prohibit foreign nationals from buying land, demand proof of lawful residence for drivers licenses, encourage reporting of those here unlawfully, define 53 counties as being on the "border," allow the DPS to act in case of an "invasion," among other things.

These points were gleaned from an article in the "Border Report."

Speaker of the House, Representative Dustin Burrows

Below is a list of bills filed pertaining to immigration and the Texas border:

HB 1832 – Dangerous Aliens Act

The Dangerous Aliens Act, filed Tuesday by Texas state Rep. Stan Gerdes, R-Smithville, would increase punishment for migrants who illegally cross the Texas border if authorities can prove “that the defendant has been previously convicted of an offense. This includes crimes in other states or countries.

Defendants face a third-degree felony charge, punishable by up to two to 10 years if the crime involved drugs or against another person, or the defendant was convicted of multiple misdemeanors.

Undocumented immigrants face a second-degree felony charge if they committed or were convicted of three or more misdemeanors. They could serve two to 20 years, if convicted.

HB 176, SB 136 – Interstate Compact on Border Security

Allows for sharing law enforcement intelligence on illegal activity occurring at the border with Mexico with compacting states. And “sharing state resources in order to build a physical barrier, a comprehensive technological surveillance system, or both, on state land to deter or detect illegal activity occurring at the border with Mexico,” according to HB 176 filed by State Rep. Ryan Guillen, a Republican from the border city of Rio Grande City, and former Democrat. A similar measure, SB 136, was filed by state Sen. Bob Hall.

HB 180 – Border Protection Agreements with Mexico

This bill allows the Texas governor the authority for agreements and engagement with Mexican authorities “to protect and defend its citizens,” according to the legislation, filed by Guillen. The governor may appoint individuals to meet with Mexican officials.

HB 247 – Tax Breaks for Border Security Infrastructure

This bill would grant a tax exemption to private land in Texas where border security infrastructure is built. This includes a border wall, barrier, fence, wire, road, trench, technology or any “apparatus or an improvement designed or adapted to surveil or impede the movement of persons or objects crossing the Texas-Mexico border outside of land ports of entry,” according to the bill filed by Guillen.

HB 256 – Rapid DNA Testing of Migrants

The Texas Department of Public Safety would be allowed to perform rapid DNA testing of certain individuals who cross the Texas-Mexico border if the Department of Homeland Security suspects they are not legitimately related as a family, according to the billBiological samples collected are “to be destroyed” once analyzed, according to the legislation filed by state Rep. Terri Leo-Wilson, R-Galveston.

HB 518 – Buying Agriculture Land Prohibited by Foreign Nationals    

This bill would forbid a non-citizen who is not a resident of Texas from buying or acquiring agricultural lands in Texas. This includes a “foreign business, or foreign government,” according to the bill filed by Leo Wilson.

HB 566 – Proof of Lawful Presence for Driver’s License

Persons who want a driver’s license or to renew a driver’s license in Texas would be required to show they are authorized to be in the United States, according to this bill filed by state Rep. John Harden Bucy III, D-Pflugerville.Accepted documents include: immigration documents with an I-94 (commonly called an “alien number” that shows a pending upcoming immigration hearing), and an unexpired foreign passport with a I-94 number, according to the bill .

HB 589, HB 742, HB 1778 – Stopping Human Trafficking

The records of a human trafficking victim are to be confidential “and excepted from disclosure, according to HB 589 filed by state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston.

Thompson also filed HB 742, which would require first responders to receive human trafficking prevention training. And she filed HB 1778, which would require human trafficking training for employees of a tattoo studio or body piercing studio.

HB 892, HB 1670, SB 309- Proof of Citizenship to Vote

A person would be required to submit proof of citizenship to register to vote in Texas, under HB 892, HB 1670, and SB 309.

Acceptable documents include: a U.S. passport; certified copy of a birth certificate; U.S. citizenship papers, under HB 892.

HB 1026 – Maintenance of Border Roads

This bill requires certain border roads between Eagle Pass and Laredo be “sufficiently maintained to allow for economic development and the provision of border security along the route.” The bill was filed by state Rep. Eddie Morales, D-Eagle Pass.

HB 1068 – Reporting Those Not Legally in U.S.

This bill requires law enforcemnent to compile annual reports of arrests of persons not legally in the United States. The information shall be posted on the department’s website per calendar year, as well as the total number of offenses a person was arrested, according to the bill filed by state Rep. Mark Dorazio, R-San Antonio.

HB 1240 – Defining the Border Region

This bill, filed by Guillen, defines the Texas-Mexico border region by the following counties: Atascosa, Bandera, Bee, Bexar, Brewster, Brooks, Cameron, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, El Paso, Frio, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kenedy, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Kleberg, La Salle, Live Oak, Loving, Mason, Maverick, McCulloch, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Nueces, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Real, Reeves, San Patricio, Starr, Sutton, Terrell, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward, Webb, Willacy, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala.

HB 1512 – Reimbursing Public Schools for Noncitizen Students

This bill would require the reporting of the number of children “known or reasonably believed to not be citizens of the United States enrolled in a public school” and to request reimbursements from the federal government “for the cost of educating those children,” according to the bill filed by state Rep. Hillary Hickland, R-Belton.

SB 81 – DPS Action During a State of Invasion at Border

This bill, filed by Hall, would allow the Texas Department of Public Safety “to act during a state of invasion or imminent danger on the Texas-Mexico border.” This would be if there was a legislative finding or declaration of a state invasion by the governor.

SB 134, SB 658 – ICE Agreements with Counties, Municipalities and Sheriffs

SB 134 allows agreements between municipalities and Texas counties with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement “to enforce federal immigration law.” It requires governing bodies of each municipality and county commissioners courts “enter into a written agreement” with ICE.

SB 658 allows agreements between Texas sheriffs and ICE “to enforce federal immigration law.” This applies to sheriffs of counties with a population of 250,000 or more. Grant programs are stipulated for counties with smaller populations.

SB 316 – Building a State Border Wall

This bill gives the Texas Facilities Commission the right to exercise eminent domain authority to build a border wall along the Texas-Mexico border in order to “acquire an interest in real property for the construction, extension, improvement or development of a wall.”

HCR 40 – Federal Reimbursement for Operation Lone Star

This resolution requires the federal government to reimburse the state of Texas for border security costs that to date exceed $11 billion as part of Operation Lone Star, which started in 2021.