Texas lawmaker threatens to shoot colleague after reporting protesters to ICE

A Texas state representative, referring to protesters at the state Capitol on Monday, said he reported “several illegal immigrants” to federal immigration authorities and then threatened to shoot a fellow lawmaker who objected.

The chaotic scene erupted at about 11 a.m. on the last day of a particularly bitter legislative session in Austin, when demonstrators in the gallery of the House Chamber began chanting in opposition to a new law that bans so-called sanctuary cities. On the House floor, Rep. Matt Rinaldi, a Republican, then turned to several Democratic lawmakers and told them he had reported the people to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

One of the Democrats, Rep. César J. Blanco, said Rinaldi told him and others, “We are going to have them deported,” and then used an obscenity.

“We were in shock,” Blanco said. “He assumed that because they were brown, in the gallery and protesting that they were here illegally.”

The exchange led to a confrontation among lawmakers, with some pushing and pointing at one another. Some legislators had to be restrained. Rinaldi got into a face-to-face argument with Rep. Poncho Nevárez, a Democrat, and threatened to shoot him.

“I made it clear that if he attempted to, in his words, ‘get me,’ I would shoot him in self-defense,” Rinaldi, who represents part of Dallas County in North Texas, wrote in a Facebook post.

Other lawmakers said Rinaldi was more pointed in the threat to Nevárez, who represents Eagle Pass, a city on the Texas-Mexico border. “There was a threat made from Rinaldi to put a bullet in one of my colleagues’ heads,” Rep. Justin Rodriguez, a Democrat, said at a news conference, according to The Texas Observer.

Nevárez said on Twitter he never threatened Rinaldi. “He’s a liar and hateful man. Got no use for him. God bless him,” he wrote.

Nevárez and Rinaldi did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Legislators with state licenses may carry concealed firearms in the Capitol, but it was not clear if Rinaldi was armed. He said on Facebook he was now being protected by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Rinaldi said on Facebook he called federal immigration authorities after seeing signs in the gallery that read, “I am illegal and here to stay.” He accused Democratic politicians of encouraging the protesters.

Blanco said he saw no such signs among protesters.

A spokeswoman with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency did not immediately respond when asked whether law enforcement officials responded to the Capitol in Austin.

The last regular day of the four-month legislative session drew more than 1,000 protesters to the Capitol. The demonstrators who packed the House chamber were speaking out against a bill Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed into law this month banning so-called sanctuary cities.