TYLER, Texas — Any day now, Gov. Greg Abbott could sign Senate Bill 4 into state law, which would make crossing international border a criminal offense in Texas and allowing state officers to detain undocumented migrants.
Under SB 4, judges at a local level will be able to send migrants who have crossed over illegally to the nearest border facility and ultimately their country of origin.
Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith, who is also the president of the Sheriff’s Association of Texas, said this new legislation is not meant to harass undocumented immigrants who are already in the state.
He said it's meant to help prevent migrants from becoming victims of trafficking, prostitution and even curb the movement of illegal substances like fentanyl. He hopes explaining this legislation will help those who fear calling law enforcement to not be concerned about seeking help.
"If you get stopped for instance for no driver's license, we're not gonna check immigration status," Smith said. "We're not gonna stop you on the street here because you look Hispanic and check your immigrant ask for your green card or your immigration papers. Not gonna do it never as long as I'm sheriff. People have to be able to live their life like everybody else does."
Smith said deputies do not check immigration status until they determine if there is an illegal crime being committed like driving while intoxicated or committing a murder.
He added the proposed legislation is not meant to prevent migrants from seeking the American dream but rather for the state to take further action on a porous border. He called it a national security concern since the backgrounds of those crossing illegally have dramatically changed from Latinos to residents of countries from around the world.