(Texas Scorecard) – Two pieces of legislation dealing with issues related to illegal immigration passed the Texas Senate on Tuesday.
Senate Bill 8, filed by State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown), is a top priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
It requires each county with a population of 100,000 or more—43 counties in total—to sign an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agreement would help local law enforcement identify illegal aliens in jail.
If determined to be an illegal alien, the officers can create an ICE immigration detainer. The detainer would allow ICE to take custody of illegal aliens and begin deportation proceedings if local law enforcement releases them.
SB 8 also includes a grant program administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts for counties with populations under 1 million to help finance the staff, equipment, and training costs of the 287(g) program. The grant program is not limited to counties with populations exceeding 100,000 that are required to participate in the 287(g) program; it’s also open for smaller counties that choose to participate.
The measure was approved by a vote along party lines of 20-11.
Another Patrick priority, Senate Bill 16 by State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), will require all voters to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote in Texas elections. County registrars will verify provided documents against Texas Department of Public Safety records and Social Security Administration databases.
If verification fails, the applicant will be notified and given instructions on how to provide proof of citizenship.
SB 16 was also passed by a party-line vote of 20-11.
“SB 16 is a priority because Texans must have confidence in the outcome of every single election in our state,” Patrick stated. “This issue is not controversial; only citizens should vote in Texas elections.”
Christine Welborn, president of the election security organization Advancing Integrity, praised the passage of SB 16.
“Texans need to know that foreign nationals cannot cancel out or dilute their votes,” Welborn told Texas Scorecard. “We must require proof of citizenship before someone is added to the voter rolls.”
With both measures having now passed, the Senate has now approved well over half of Patrick’s 40 priorities. Earlier this week, he compared the Senate’s pace to that of a steamroller.
Both measures now head to the Texas House.