EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Two immigration bills were approved by the Texas House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Senate Bill 4 would direct $1.54 billion dollars to the continued development of the border wall, while Senate Bill 3 would make crossing the Texas/Mexico border illegally a state crime.
After multiple attempts from Republican representatives at passing similar bills in previous special sessions, both bills are likely to be passed. Having received approval by both the Texas Senate and House, Governor Greg Abbott is expected to sign off on SB 4. Meanwhile, SB 3 awaits a second approval from the Texas Senate, after amendments were introduced to the bill.
The amendment to SB 3 would allow for part of the $1.54 billion dollars to be used to aid local law enforcement and governments across the state to enforce SB 4.
Commander for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department, Ryan Urrutia, expressed concerns that the bill could cause a financial burden on the community.
“…This could potentially cause a rise of inmates being brought into our jails. And we’re not sure what the numbers will look like. But there’s cost to housing. There’s cost of prosecution. There’s medical costs associated with it…” said Urrutia.
The El Paso Sheriff’s Department does not have discretionary authority over what laws they can enforce, and can only control how they would prioritize SB 4 explained Urrutia. But he asserts that they would not seek funding to build up their department or join a task force in order to enforce SB 4.
Urrutia also cited concerns that the bill could “jeopardize” the relationship between the department and the community, explaining that maintaining open communication between each other is very important to help them keep everyone safe.
Read: Read More