Texas MPs want to ask sheriffs to work with ice

Texas (KXXV) – a Texas Senate group heard a stable opposition mix and measured support for a draft law that would ask sheriffs to collaborate with US immigration and customs execution.

Texas counties with over 100,000 residents would be mandated to request and introduce partnerships with ICE – known as 287 (G) Agreements – under Senate 8Deposited by State Senator Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown.

SB 8 – designated a maximum priority by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick – It would provide some funds for the sheriffs of the county with less than 1 million residents to associate with ICE to perform the limited application of immigration, but not for the largest counties in Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott He also supported the idea.

ICE has three models for 287 (g) agreements. Two are intended for local prisons, where officers can be deputies to question prisoners about their immigration status or serve administrative mandates. In the field, officers can be allowed to question people about their immigration status through a program that the Trump administration has revived after falling in use following the accusations he has led to racial profiling.

Forty -three law enforcement agencies in Texas had 287 (G) Agreements in force At the beginning of March, all, except for the three, for prison programs, according to ICE.

On Monday, the calculated approval of SB 8 came from the sheriffs worried about the tension they could place on their budgets and resources, immigration hardliners who said that the bill did not go far enough and at least one representative of a group of advocacy who said that with an opposition, with changes.

Among those who testified to the Senate State Business Committee, was the Sheriff of Chambers County, Brian Hawthorne, who also holds the position of Legislative President of the Texas Sheriffs Association.

Hawthorne said that the group has supported the draft law, but not each member has supported the obligation of ice agreements, because many sheriffs are already operating under strict budgets and adding more responsibilities costs money.

“This could be another budget problem,” Hawthorne confessed. “We believe it would be wonderful for the state legislator to finance the program.”

Other sheriffs have raised concerns about the impact of the staff to send officers to the ICE training for the program, which means to travel on the East Coast for several weeks. During an exchange on these worries, Schwertner said that President Donald Trump, Tom Homan, is considering shortening the training and organizing regional training sessions.

Chris Russo, The President of the Texan anti-immigration group for strong bordersHe confessed that program 287 (G) is essential for strengthening the application of inner immigration, but that SB 8 should ask all law enforcement forces, not just sheriffs, to conclude agreements.

“Although we support this draft law, we believe that the mandate of participation should be enlarged,” Russo said.

Luis Figueroa from each Texan, a group of public policies advocating for equity, told the parliamentarians that it is “problematic” to send the costs in the counties and that SB 8 could be consolidated by limiting it to prison programs and ensuring that any agreements require training. However, the group was worried about fading the jurisdictional lines between local and federal authorities, which have been exclusively responsible for the application of immigration, he said.

“Will your organization support the invoice with these changes?” Schwertner asked Figueroa.

“I think we could leave him,” said Figueroa. “If we could limit this in prisons, this would be a great improvement in the bill and we would like to work with you.”

Meanwhile, a number of speakers from organizations, including the American Civil Freedom Union and the Texas Civil Rights project, have thrown the draft law as a loss of money and a slippery slope.

“This is a completely unfounded mandate,” said Sarah Cruz from Aclu in Texas, pointing to Harris county – the most populated of the state – the conclusion of his participation in the program A few years ago, after setting the money better spent to strengthen public safety through other initiatives. “The more we are willing to put ourselves to an anti-immigrant agenda than the needs of our communities?”

Disclosure: Each Texan was a financial supporter of Texas Tribune, a non -profit, non -partisan news organization, which is funded by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the journalism of the Tribune. Find a complete their list here.

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This item originally appeared in Texas Tribune TO https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/17/texas-legislature-immignts-ice-partnerships-heriffs-requirement/.

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