Bill requiring sheriffs to work with ICE passes Texas legislature
FILE - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), agents detain an immigrant on October 14, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
AUSTIN - A bill that would require all sheriffs in Texas to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by serving federal immigration warrants at local jails has been approved by both chambers of the state legislature.
The bill now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk to potentially be signed into law. Critics worry the proposal could change Texas law enforcement for the worse.
Senate Bill 8
The Latest:
Senate Bill 8 was approved by the House and Senate in its final readings on Sunday, the penultimate day of Texas's 89th legislative session.
The backstory:
The bill would require sheriffs to request partnerships with ICE, known as 287(g) agreements. The agreements allow ICE to authorize local authorities to perform certain types of immigration enforcement in local jails, including allowing officers to question inmates about their immigration status and serve administrative warrants.
In its original form, the bill would have applied only to counties with populations over 100,000. On May 24, the House passed an amended version in an 89-50 vote that would apply to all sheriffs in the state.
Advocacy Group Opposition
The other side:
Critics of the bill worry that the 287(g) agreements could lead to local profiling, targeting of people with little or no criminal history and harming the relationship between law enforcement and the community.
What they're saying:
The ACLU of Texas spoke out on Sunday following the bill's passage. Sarah Cruz, policy and advocacy strategist for border and immigrants’ rights, included a statement in the release.
"S.B. 8 will not make our communities safer, but it will force sheriffs to do the work of ICE in support of the federal government’s shameful mass deportation efforts. This bill will also divert limited law enforcement resources, lead to racial profiling, and drive victims and witnesses of crime into the shadows. The legislature should not strip local communities of their ability to make decisions about what keeps them safe."
What's next:
The bill now awaits approval or veto from Abbott.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the ACLU of Texas and previous FOX reporting.