Texas
Texas Senate moves to create new immigration enforcement unit, allow state police to arrest for border crossings
:focal(0x0:2500x1667)/static.texastribune.org/media/files/0f8778ad0cff771f8d01eae70eb7072e/0508%20Title%2042%20Migrants%20IPA%2006.JPG "Texas Senate moves to create new immigration enforcement unit, allow state police to arrest for border crossings")
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In the early Wednesday hours, the Texas Senate pushed the GOP’s priority immigration legislation creating a new state border police force closer to the finish line.
House Bill 7 would also make it a state crime for migrants to enter the state anywhere but a port of entry, create a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence for human smugglers, and devote $100 million for new detention centers, courts, security and economic development projects for border communities.
It’s the most sweeping of a Republican package of bills that aims to stiffen the state’s response to record crossings at Texas’ southern border. It also tests the limits of a state’s authority to enforce immigration laws, which have traditionally been the purview of the federal government.
Nearly 16 hours after senators entered the chamber Tuesday, HB 7 initially passed the Senate just after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday on a 19-12 vote along party lines. The bill still needs final approval by the chamber before it will go back to the House, where lawmakers can accept the Senate’s changes or seek a compromise.
“House Bill 7 will enhance border security operations, provide more tools to law enforcement and prosecutors, and increase the safety of the border region in Texas,” state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, said when first laying out his bill after midnight.
Earlier versions of the bill’s border police unit drew intense criticism for aiming to allow civilians to serve as officers, which opponents said would have allowed unlicensed vigilantes to patrol Texas’ border.
Early Wednesday morning, Birdwell told fellow lawmakers the new Texas Border Force would have both commissioned law enforcement officers and noncommissioned employees. Only the commissioned law enforcement officers would have arrest powers or be allowed to carry a gun under the bill, he said. State Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, who offered the amendment to clarify the duties of the two kinds of employees, said noncommissioned employees could transport people arrested by the unit and provide other logistical support.
That is a reversal of the House’s version of the bill, which had been amended to only allow licensed peace officers to be part of the new border unit. That version of the bill also limited the unit’s activity to border communities where county commissioners had given approval.
The Senate version of the bill approved early Wednesday removed the restrictions on where the unit could operate, allowing its officers to operate anywhere in the state.
In empowering its new border force, HB 7 would also create the new crime of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border outside of a port of entry. Such an entry into Texas is already a federal crime, though federal agents process those who request asylum differently than other people caught crossing the border. State police making arrests, however, do not typically consider asylum requests when making arrests.
Bill opponents have raised concerns that even more asylum-seekers will not have an opportunity to provide an affirmative defense by requesting asylum or providing another legal reason to be in the United States. They also worried that the new mandatory 10-year minimum sentence for human smuggling would ensnare mostly young, disadvantaged U.S. citizens who are lured by big payouts from drug cartels into driving migrants across the country after they cross the border.
Though immigration laws are under federal jurisdiction, Texas leaders have found creative ways to wield power in the arena during a yearslong state crackdown on illegal immigration.
As a rise in migrants began to overwhelm Texas border communities in 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott reacted in part by sending state troopers to border counties to arrest people suspected of crossing the border illegally on state trespassing charges. Since then, thousands of migrants have been sent to Texas prisons on the low-level charge, often after being caught on rail cars or walking across privately-owned land near the border.
Texas’ “catch-and-jail” criminal justice system for migrants has been entrenched in controversy from the start. Wrongful arrests and illegal detentions as well as allegations of discriminatory and unconstitutional practices resulted in a flurry of lawsuits and a U.S. Department of Justice investigation. Many men have languished inside Texas prisons converted into state jails for immigration-related crimes for months without attorneys or a chance to see a judge.
Under the new legislation, the trespassing workaround would no longer be needed. Police could arrest people they suspect of crossing the border illegally for that crime alone, though Birdwell repeatedly insisted Wednesday morning that only people caught at the border would be arrested.
Still, the arrests would largely act in the same manner as migrant trespassing arrests. Arrestees would largely be sent to the Texas prisons being used as state jails for immigration crimes, and Birdwell said that police would largely still only arrest single men while referring women and families to U.S. Border Patrol. State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, said that policy “sounds like selective enforcement,” a phrase used in litigation against discriminatory practices.
Numerous of Abbott’s trespassing arrests have been tossed after defendants have claimed the policy to only arrest single men while referring women and families to the U.S. Border Patrol is discriminatory.
“This is not the way to try to solve this issue,” Hinojosa said.
Likely predicting legal and constitutional challenges over federal and state jurisdiction, HB 7 includes language that specifies each individual provision of the extensive bill can still stand if one piece is found invalid by the courts.
“I don’t believe we’re enforcing immigration law because our duty … after prosecution of the state crime is to process them to the immigration authorities,” Birdwell said. “But it’s certainly possible that the federal government might decide to come after Texas and I’m certainly happy to stand and defend this.”
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Austin weather: Level 2 severe weather day
Looks like we have a slight risk of some severe storms. Zack Shields has all the details in his full forecast.
AUSTIN, Texas – Rainy, stormy and cooler times are ahead and all the ingredients are coming together for the best chances of rain we have seen in the last two months.
A cold front along with a potent upper low will collide with the warmth and moisture to turn on the spotty light rain during the day and heavy rain and storms tonight.
There is a marginal to slight risk of severe storms and localized flooding.
After the front pushes through, the weather will be wonderful for Election Day with sunny, cooler and drier conditions. Then here comes the next Pacific low to bring back the clouds and rain by the end of the week.
Buckle up, the weather pattern is turning very active all of a sudden.
Most of the rain and storms will happen tonight. The Storm Prediction Center has upgraded us to a SLIGHT risk of severe storms. This means isolated severe storms are possible generating moderate sized hail and damaging winds.
Two rounds of storms are possible:
- First round: 3 – 5pm (isolated coverage)
- Second round: 6pm – 12am (numerous coverage)
Threats will be quarter sized hail, wind gusts of 50 – 60mph and there will be a low tornado risk.
The highest risk for hail will be along I-35 corridor and the highest risk of damaging winds from Austin to La Grange.
Rain totals are expected to be about .5 to 1″ with isolated spots possibly getting 1-2″.
Minor flooding with low-water crossings possible.
Mike Elko refutes reports that comments directed at Jimbo Fisher
Texas A&M coach Mike Elko’s postgame comments caught fire on social media. But Elko says they weren’t about Jimbo Fisher or any other coach.
Texas A&M football may have lost on Saturday to South Carolina, but they’re still in the running for one of the 12 spots in the College Football Playoff.
The Aggies are one of five teams in the Southeastern Conference with one conference loss. LSU, Alabama, Georgia and Texas also have one loss, opening the teams to some very complex tiebreaking scenarios.
This Tuesday, the CFP selection committee will release its first edition of the weekly rankings and the first projection of the playoff. Texas A&M is currently ranked 10th in the AP Poll and 11th in the US LBM Coaches Poll, but their recent loss should send them a ways down the standings.
Texas A&M running back Le’Veon Moss suffered an injury to his right leg in the first quarter versus South Carolina, pushing Amari Daniels into the starting role. Texas A&M coach Mike Elko says that Marcel Reed is the “starter now” after the game versus South Carolina, but the redshirt freshman committed multiple turnovers against the Gamecocks.
Texas A&M still has to face New Mexico State, Auburn and Texas. Even with the upcoming projections, there are a lot of different ways this could all play out.
Here’s everything you need to know about the CFP rankings reveal:
How to watch College Football Playoff rankings show
The College Football Playoff rankings show will air on ESPN, with the broadcast starting at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Fans can also stream the show on Fubo, which is offering a free trial.
College Football Playoff rankings release date
The first rankings will be announced on Nov. 5 A new rankings will be released every Tuesday through Dec. 5.
What time is CFP rankings?
The broadcast will start at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday.
Texas A&M football CFP rankings projection
Coming into Week 10, ESPN’s CFP Playoff predictor had Texas A&M with a 47% chance to make the playoff, but it hasn’t updated with the recent loss. Those odds fall to less than 40% after the defeat, per pregame projections.
If the Aggies win out and make the SEC title game, ESPN has them as the third-seed with a first-round bye, facing either sixth-seed Georgia or 11th-seed Tennessee.
Losing the title game would give Texas A&M a 67% chance to make the playoff as the 12th-seed. They would face fifth-seed Notre Dame in the first round. If the Aggies lose to the Longhorns in their final game of the season, their odds drop to 13%.
How many teams in College Football Playoff 2024?
There will be 12 participating teams in the College Football Playoff bracket. The teams will consist of the five conference champions ranked highest by the CFP selection committee, and the next seven highest-ranked teams.
How does College Football Playoff format work?
The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and receive a first-round bye. The fifth conference champion will be seeded where it was ranked or at No. 12 if it is outside the top 12 in the CFP rankings. Non-conference champions ranked in the top four will be seeded beginning at No. 5.
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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Millions of Texans will head to the polls on Tuesday, but almost half of all registered voters in the Lone Star state have already cast their ballots.
After a much-criticized election in 2022, Harris County eliminated the election administrator position and returned the authority to the county clerk, Teneshia Hudspeth. She said they are well prepared for Tuesday’s vote.
“It is going to be interesting. It is an important time in our country,” poll worker Garfield Teixeira said.
Teixeria has served on the front lines in more ways than one.
First, she served in the army for 22 years, but now, she’s on the front lines of democracy.
“We’re like Santa’s helpers. We’re like elves,” Teixeira said.
To Teixeira, a polling center is one of Santa’s many workshops.
She’s been helping out in Brazoria County during early voting.
“Friday, we had a lot of first-time voters. We welcomed them, and we tell them we should have a bell. Like, when you buy a car, to ring, to acknowledge them,” Teixeira said.
So far, 8.9 million Texans have voted early, including in-person and mail-in ballots. That’s about 47% of the 18.6 million registered voters.
It is less than the vote percentage in 2020, about 57%, but due to the pandemic, we had an extra week of early voting.
“The turnout has been tremendous,” Teixeira said.
Scrutiny of the election process has grown more intense, increasing the pressure on poll workers to perform flawlessly.
“I always pull up my information and refresh myself because… from one election to another. That is a big span of time,” Shaikil Grisham, who worked as a poll worker before moving to Texas, said.
Election monitors are tools used by the Department of Justice to keep an eye on any violations.
On Friday, top Texas election officials informed the DOJ that election monitors are not allowed in Texas polling places.
The agency had originally announced plans to dispatch machines to eight Texas counties.
The Texas secretary of state will send monitors to Harris County. The County welcomes those monitors as it has in previous elections.
For updates on this story, follow Alex Bozarjian on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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