HB 4, following a heated and controversial discussion in the House, was successfully passed at approximately 4 a.m. on Thursday. The bill, which is a significant milestone in the history of the state, establishes illegal entry into Texas as a state crime. It grants Texas law enforcement the authority to carry out arrest and removal procedures, which includes the transportation of illegal foreign nationals to a designated port of entry.
When an individual enters the state of Texas without proper authorization, they may be subject to legal consequences if they do not adhere to certain requirements. In such cases, if the person fails to comply with the necessary regulations, they may be arrested and charged with a second-degree felony offense. This particular charge carries a potential prison sentence ranging from 2 to 20 years.
The companion bill of SB 11, which was filed by Republican Rep. David Spiller, has been introduced. This bill is in conjunction with the bill filed by Sen. Brian Birdwell, who is a Republican from Granbury. It is worth noting that the bill filed by Sen. Birdwell has already been approved by the Senate approximately two weeks ago.
The bill language states that it aims to prevent individuals who are aliens from entering or residing in the state illegally. It also focuses on enforcing these prohibitions and granting the authority to remove individuals who violate these rules under specific circumstances. The act of entering or attempting to enter Texas from a foreign nation at any location other than the lawful port of entry is classified as a misdemeanor under the law. If an individual’s removal from a certain place is followed by a conviction resulting from the commission of two or more misdemeanors related to drugs, crimes against a person, or both, the offense is elevated to a third-degree felony.
The vote tally was 84 in favor and 60 against. The bill faced opposition from Democrats, who submitted more than twenty amendments in an attempt to modify its content. However, none of these proposed amendments were successful in being incorporated into the final version of the bill.
After Governor Abbott signs the bill into law, as anticipated, there is a high probability that it will face immediate legal challenges. Governor Abbott has expressed his intention to protect Texas’ right to self-defense and pursue legal action up to the U.S. Supreme Court, if required.
The House of Representatives has recently approved a significant funding bill known as HB 6. This bill aims to allocate funds specifically for the purpose of constructing, operating, and maintaining border barrier infrastructure. The vote tally for the passage of the motion was 84 in favor and 61 against.
The allocation of an additional $1.5 billion to fund Abbott’s Operation Lone Star projects is a provision within the border barrier measure. The ongoing efforts involve the construction of the inaugural border wall in the state of Texas, marking a significant milestone. Additionally, the installation of marine barriers in the Rio Grande River is being carried out for the first time. The Democrats made an effort to include an amendment in the bill that would prevent the allocation of funds for the installation of more marine buoys. However, this attempt was unsuccessful.
Once the necessary funding is secured, construction projects will primarily take place in the border counties of Maverick, Starr, Val Verde, and Webb. During a recent House Committee on Appropriations hearing, state Representative Jacey Jetton, who represents Richmond, provided information regarding the ongoing plans for land acquisitions and easements. These initiatives are being considered for additional projects and are eligible for funding.
In addition to the legislature already allocating over $10 billion to OLS efforts for two, two-year budget cycles, this funding has been provided.
The House of Representatives has successfully passed SB 4, a bill sponsored by Rep. Ryan Guillen, who represents Rio Grande City and belongs to the Republican party. This bill aims to establish a mandatory minimum sentence for individuals involved in the act of human smuggling. The range of sentences for this particular offense spans from a minimum of five years to a maximum of 25 years. The bill was approved with a vote of 92-54.
In multiple posts on social media, Abbott expressed his admiration for the House’s successful passage of the bills. The individual stated that the Texas Legislature has successfully passed legislation that aims to enhance penalties for both human smuggling and stash house operations. In Texas, a new measure has been implemented to address the issue of human smuggling. As per this measure, individuals involved in human smuggling will now face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years. In addition, the user expressed gratitude towards the legislators who introduced his priority bills, namely Sen. Pete Flores and Guillen, who both belong to the Republican party.
In addition, the individual expressed admiration for Jetton and Spiller, who are both members of the Republican party. Furthermore, they commended the Texas House for successfully passing significant legislation during Special Session #3. These bills encompassed the criminalization of illegal entry into Texas, granting licensed law enforcement the authority to effectuate removal, as well as allocating additional funding for the construction of the Texas border https://youtu.be/L_jAQjYvFbM
