Texas would further cement its role in enforcing immigration laws under a bill the state Legislature sent to the governor Sunday that would require most sheriffs to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Gov. Greg Abbott has signaled support for such an idea, and President Donald Trump — whose administration could receive a big personnel boost for its mass deportation ambitions if Texas joins the effort — endorsed the proposed law Friday as state lawmakers worked on the latest compromise.
The version of Senate Bill 8 that lawmakers ultimately voted to send to the governor would require sheriffs who run or contract out operations of a jail to request and enter agreements with ICE under a federal law that lets ICE extend limited immigration authority to local law enforcement officers. The bill would cover approximately 234 of the state’s 254 counties, according to a bill author.
Over the weekend, SB 8 received strong condemnation from some Democrats, high praise from immigration hardliners who had pushed all legislative session for a more sweeping bill, and ultimately a final green light from the GOP-dominated Legislature: The Senate approved the bill 20-11 and the House 89-52.
“It's not just about securing the border, it's about public safety,” Rep. David Spiller, a Jacksboro Republican who carried the bill in the House, said Sunday after the House vote. “The focus previously before President Trump got back in office was mainly [to] secure the border....
SALEM, Mass. — A Haverhill teacher was arraigned in court on Friday on multiple charges, including stolen valor, false credentials and reckless endangerment of a child. Lissa Lagasse, 57, of Lowel...