Texas Lawmakers Vote to Allow Local Authorities to Arrest, Deport Illegal Immigrants

Lawmakers also allocated over $1 billion for a border wall. Opponents say the state has no authority over immigration and border security.

Illegal immigrants walk through razor wire surrounding a makeshift migrant camp after crossing the border from Mexico, in El Paso, Texas, on May 11, 2023. John Moore/Getty Images

The Texas House of Representatives on Nov. 14 voted in favor of approving two of the strictest immigration laws in the country, both of which are aimed at bolstering security at the southern border.

Senate Bill 3, introduced by Republican state Sen. Joan Huffman and sponsored in the House by Republican state Rep. Jacey Jetton, would allocate $1.54 billion to continue building a wall at the southern border while also increasing law enforcement overtime and pay, including extra staffing to preserve public safety and security in the Colony Ridge housing development in Liberty County, Texas, which some officials say has become a hotbed for illegal immigrants and rising crime.