GOP leaders were forced to return the measure to a committee with time running out after Democrats raised a successful point of order.
Members of the Texas Department of Public Safety's Tactical Marine Unit patrol the Rio Grande along the U.S.-Mexico Border on March 23, 2021 near Mission, Texas.Texas House Democrats dealt an unexpected and possibly fatal blow late Tuesday to a Republican priority bill that would create a team of police and deputized citizens to patrol the southern border, sending the bill back to committee on the eve of a key deadline.
The contentious measure, which critics said would promote racial profiling, went down shortly before 11 p.m. on a point of order – a procedural maneuver frequently used to kill legislation toward the end of the session. Republican leaders in the House were forced to return the bill to the House State Affairs Committee on what amounted to a technicality.
A top priority of GOP Speaker Dade Phelan, House Bill 20 would establish a “Border Protection Unit” staffed by a mix of licensed peace officers and deputized everyday citizens, who would be authorized to “arrest, apprehend, or detain” migrants who cross the border illegally. It would also add more legal ammunition to Texas’ ongoing border crackdown, creating a felony charge for anyone — migrant or U.S.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Republicans had enough time to resuscitate the bill to meet must-pass deadlines later this week. The tentative deadline to place bills on Thursday’s House calendar — the last day for the chamber to take up bills authored by its own members — passed less than an hour before HB 20 was sent back to committee, though lawmakers are sometimes able to find ways around the cutoffs.
The bill would continue Texas’ push into uncharted territory along the border, where Gov. Greg Abbott has sent thousands of state troopers and National Guard members to arrest migrants on state charges like criminal trespassing and human smuggling. Republican lawmakers have pumped billions of dollars into the initiative, known as Operation Lone Star, and are expected to continue the spending spreefor at least another two years.
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