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Abbott signs border security bills in Fort Worth | FULL
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was in Fort Worth on Tuesday with U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan to sign bills boosting the state's border security efforts with the federal government. The governor also chatted with law enforcement officials at the Sheriff's Association of Texas Annual Training.
FORT WORTH, Texas - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan discussed border safety at the Sheriff's Association of Texas' annual training in Fort Worth.
Joined by several state lawmakers, Abbott signed Senate Bill 8 and Senate Bill 36.
"We will enhance the state's response to growing threats from foreign nations as well as terrorists who do a lot of different things that endanger our state," Abbott said.
ICE operations and border security
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Tom Homan on violence at Texas ICE facilities
Tom Homan said he visited with law enforcement in Alvarado, Texas Monday. An Alvarado police officer was shot responding to an attack on the Prairieland Federal Detention Facility on July 4.
Abbott and Homan focused heavily on ICE operations and border security during a question and answer session that followed the signing.
Homan said he went to Alvarado, Texas on Monday where he met with law enforcement who responded to a July 4 attack on the Prarieland Federal Detention Facility.
"I don't mind protesters at all. They have their constitutional right to protest. Have at it," Homan said. "But you got that population, that percentage, who's going to take it one step further and do criminal acts."
Homan also touched on border safety operations and the decline in illegal crossings.
"ICE and border patrol are more successful than they've ever been, and we're going to keep doing the job," Homan said. "I talked to Gov. Abbott just before we came out here and he pledged Texas law enforcement will help support ICE."
Abbott said the new border enforcement policies allowed for Texas law enforcement to act as support for the federal government.
"We're a force multiplier for them," Abbott said. "Whenever they go into a danger zone, we're going to be there to assist them in that danger zone."
Senate Bill 8
Senate Bill 8 requires local sheriff's offices to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in their counties.
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.
What they're saying:
"Texans have made it clear, that they expect their leaders to prioritize public safety, to uphold the rule of law and to take meaningful action on illegal immigration," Rep. David Spiller said.
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.
"This bill got stronger and better as we went through the legislative process," Spiller said.
Texas lawmakers set aside $20 million in grant funding to aid local agencies.
Senate Bill 36
The second piece of Tuesday's ceremonial signing was Senate Bill 36.
The bill establishes a homeland security division inside the Texas Department of Public Safety.
"This is about putting in place an infrastructure that enables us to address all of the various threats that are coming our way," Sen. Tan Parker said. "And so, by consolidating all of our capabilities into this division of homeland security under DPS, we do that."
What's next:
Senate Bill 36 goes into effect on Sept. 1, 2025.
Senate Bill 8 goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
The Source: Information in this article comes from remarks made at the Association of Texas Sheriffs and previous FOX reporting.