Texas Senate Advances Bills on Immigration and Voter Registration

The Texas Senate on Tuesday moved forward with two bills, one aimed at tightening immigration enforcement and the other targeting voter registration requirements.

The first bill, Senate Bill 8, introduced by Senator Charles Schwertner (R), focuses on the 287(g) program, which trains local law enforcement to check the immigration status of individuals arrested for suspected crimes. Under current law, 44 Texas counties participate in this program, but Schwertner’s bill, would require all 40 Texas counties with populations over 100,000 to take part. Currently, only 16 counties meet this threshold.

“This bill helps address the ongoing issue of criminal aliens being arrested and potentially released due to local law enforcement's lack of awareness of their immigration status,” Schwertner said.

The program allows local authorities to detain individuals for up to 48 hours after their scheduled release, giving federal officials time to take custody of individuals suspected of being in the country illegally.

The bill also proposes a grant program to help smaller counties cover the cost of the program, with a $20 million rider included in the Senate budget proposal. Senate Finance Committee chair Senator Joan Huffman (R) expressed her intent to ensure this funding remains in the budget.

The second bill, Senate Bill 6, proposed by Senator Bryan Hughes (R), would require proof of U.S. citizenship for individuals registering to vote in state elections. While the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot impose additional documentation requirements for federal elections, it allows them to do so for state elections.

Sen. Hughes argued that most citizens already prove their citizenship when they apply for a Texas driver’s license, saying, “Most citizens have already proved their citizenship when they got a driver’s license.”

Under the bill, voters unable to prove citizenship at the time of registration could still vote in federal elections but would need to provide proof before voting in state elections. Accepted documentation includes birth certificates, U.S. passports, or immigration naturalization papers.

Additionally, the bill makes it a state jail felony to knowingly register a non-citizen to vote or for a non-citizen to attempt to register.

Both bills passed in the Senate and are now headed to the Texas House for further consideration.