$1.8 billion border security bill advances
Republicans in the Texas House gave initial approval to a $1.8 billion border security spending bill Friday, shooting down Democrats’ attempts to derail the legislation along with most of their proposed amendments to it.
The lower chamber passed the bill on an 81-38 vote that mostly followed party lines, putting one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priorities on track to reach the Senate with nine days left in the special legislative session. The measure will likely head to the Republican-controlled upper chamber with all its central provisions intact, including a plan to spend $1 billion on barriers and fencing along parts of the Texas-Mexico border.
By the time the bill came up for a vote early Friday evening, Republicans had adopted just two of the Democrats’ 19 amendments, most of which sought to divert the funds to local law enforcement officials, nonprofits that assist migrants at the border and other areas that diverged sharply from Republicans’ vision for the bill.
Led by state Rep. Greg Bonnen, a Friendswood Republican
who authored the bill, Republicans appeared determined to mostly preserve the spending package as drafted. If approved by the Senate, it would boost the Texas budget for border security to nearly $3 billion over the next two years, more than tripling the most recent two-year allotment.
Bonnen, the House’s chief budget writer, staunchly de
fended Abbott’s plan to spend $1 billion on a barrier that the governor hopes will eventually cover more than 700 miles of the border. Under questioning from Democrats, who framed the plan as archaic and ineffective, Bonnen noted it would not be the only tactic used to deter or prevent migrants from crossing the border.
“Common sense tells you that fencing does work,” Bonnen said. “There’s a fence around the Capitol. People have fences around their yards. There are security fences around businesses. It is not a novel or unusual concept, and it is proven that it is actually helpful. Now, is that the only security strategy that you would ever deploy? Well, no, there are other things to consider.”
Abbott’s policy and budget director told a House committee earlier this week that the cost of the barrier would be higher than $1 billion, though she did not give an exact figure.
Democrats argued that the bill is too focused on using military force and detaining migrants, when they said at least a portion of the funds should be used for humanitarian efforts and other measures aimed at helping those seeking asylum.
Abbott has directed state troopers and members of the National Guard to arrest and jail migrants who cross the border on charges such as trespassing and destruction of property as U.S. Customs and Border Protection continues to encounter record numbers of crossings — a rare effort by a state to essentially enforce immigration law, which is a responsibility of the federal government.
State Rep. Matt Schaefer, a Republican from Tyler and one of the most conservative members of the chamber, said even Democratic sheriffs along the border have been asking the Legislature for help handling the heavy volume of migrants they are encountering. He applauded Abbott, who is being accused by primary opponents of not taking a tough enough approach on immigration, for his recent push.
“To Gov. Abbott’s credit, he is stepping up and doing something that I’m not aware of any governor doing prior, and that’s actually prosecuting criminal trespass,” Schaefer said. “I don’t know another governor that’s done it.”
State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, accused Republicans of fueling racism against Latinos as he sought to connect the bill to the 2019 massacre at a Walmart in his hometown that left 23 dead. Authorities said the gunman, who was charged with hate crimes, admitted to targeting Mexican immigrants.
“I’m not here to question anyone’s intentions because intentions to me are secondary to results,” said Moody, who is Latino. “And one of the results of HB 9 and bills like it is that people looking for someone to blame will weaponize this sentiment, aim at the target it puts on the back of communities like mine, and pull the trigger.”
Aside from the barrier funding, the spending package would fund the deployment of an additional 1,800 National Guard troopers — on top of the 700 troopers already funded by the budget approved during the spring — to oversee construction of the temporary fencing.
It would also devote $155 million to fund a surge in Department of Public Safety troopers and equipment sent to the border region as part of Abbott’s border initiative, along with $170 million to establish and staff three new processing and intake centers for migrants apprehended near the border on state jail charges.
Amid growing concerns about capacity issues, the bill would also set aside funds to convert existing state detention centers so they can be used to house detained migrants. The state is currently sending migrants to a detention facility in Frio County with a capacity of about 1,400. There were 488 inmates at the center Wednesday, according to a TDCJ spokesman.
The bill passed with the support of state Rep. Eddie Morales Jr., a Democrat from Eagle Pass who was the only member of his party to support the bill. The House adopted an amendment from Morales to set aside $14 million from the bill for law enforcement costs in border counties, including overtime costs incurred at county jails where migrants are being detained.
Lawmakers also approved an amendment from state Rep. Tracy King, D-Batesville, that prevents state officials from using the border funds to acquire land through eminent domain or build a barrier on property acquired through that process.
Bonnen added an amendment to the bill that would require several state agencies to track and report a number of metrics — including border apprehensions and the total mileage of barrier constructed — similar to those sought by state Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas.