AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas legislature passed Senate Bill 8 on Sunday, which will force local sheriffs to perform the duties of federal immigration agents by partnering with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement.
Although the bill provides limited support through a grant program, it doesn’t guarantee that every county will receive the funding or that it will cover their costs. This means that some counties may have to absorb this mandate at a cost to local taxpayers. Sheriff’s offices will also have to divert their limited funding and resources toward immigration enforcement.
The bill will be sent to the governor's desk, where it is expected to be signed into law.
The following quote can be attributed to Sarah Cruz (she/her), policy and advocacy strategist for border and immigrants’ rights:
“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.”
