Important Immigration Hearing: Wednesday, March 2nd

On Wednesday, March 2nd, the House State Affairs Committee will hear several important immigration bills, including a "sanctuary cities" bill (HB 12) that Gov. Perry included on his list of emergency items. The hearing will start upon adjournment, which is likely to be between noon and 2pm. It takes place in the John H. Reagan Building, Room 140 in the Captiol Complex. 

Committee hearing may continue on Thursday. If you cannot stay the duration of the hearing please register an opinion without testimony on the bill by submitting a witness card to the committee clerk.

Texas Impact opposes HB 12, HB 18, HB 183, HB 623 and HB 875. Detailed descriptions of these bills follow later in this story.

Texas Impact supports HB 603, which prohibits law enforcement inquiries regarding the nationality or immigration status of a victim of or witness to a criminal offensein order to protect immigrant victims of crimes.

What Can I Do?

1) Attend the hearing: No one knows exactly what time the committee will start hearing the immigration bills, so we will begin meeting at an off-site location at noon. Call the Texas Impact office (512-472-3903) for more information about where to meet. Once the committee begins hearing the immigration bills, we will move to the JHR building and stay until the bills are finished, which could be as late as midnight (or beyond). We want the committee room to be packed so that the legislators know that there are many people who see these bills as destructive and hard-hearted.

2) Drop a card: Once you are at the committee hearing, you can register your position with the committee clerk. Texas Impact staff members Josh and Emily will be in the hearing room to help you fill out a card if you want to.

3) Call the committee: If you can't make it to the hearing, you can still call the members of the committee to register your position on the bill. Committee members and phone numbers are listed here.

The bills being heard include:

HB 12 (Solomons, R-Carrollton): This bill would keep local goverments from adopting any policy that prohibits the full enforcement of federal immigration laws. It would also keep local goverments from prohibiting law enforcement officials to inquire into someone's immigration status if they have been lawfully detained or arrested and from sharing that information the USCIS and other law enforcement entities. Read the full text.

HB 18 (Riddle, R-Tomball): This bill prohibits local governments from adopting a policy that does not full enforce federal and state immigration laws. This bill also gives the Attorney General the power to takes local goverments to court if the AG determines them to have broken the law. Read the full text. 

HB 183 (Solomons, R-Carrollton): This bill requires law enforcement officials to verify a person's immigration status within 48 hours of the person's arrest. Read the full text.

HB 623 (Bonnen, R-Angleton):This is an omnibus bill that 

• requires law enforcment officials to check the immigration status of someone within 48 hours of his or her arrest
• creates an "immigration database" that records unlawfully present immigrants that have been arrested and makes that information public
• requires lawful presence for students to qualify for in-state tuition
• requires state agencies to report on the direct and indirect costs of providing services to unlawfully present immigrants
• establishes English as the official language of Texas and strikes a provision that requires official information to be provided in Spanish
• prohibits local governments from adopting a policy that does not fully enforce federal immigration law
  Read the full text.

HB 875 (Howard, C., R- Sugar Land): requires sherrifs or other law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of defants awaiting trial on intoxication charges. Read the full text. 

HB 603 (Farrar, D- Houston): prohibits law enforcement officials from inquiring about immigration status of a victim of or witness to a criminal offense. Texas Impact supports this bill. Read the full text. 

House State Affairs Committee:
Chairman Byron Cook, (512) 463-0730
Vice-Chair Jose Menendez, (512) 463-0634
Rep. Tom Craddick, (512) 463-0500
Rep. John Frullo, (512) 463-0676
Rep. Pete Gallego, (512) 463-0566
Rep. Charlie Geren, (512) 463-0610
Rep. Patricia Harless, (512) 463-0496
Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, (512) 463-0536
Rep. Dan Huberty, (512) 463-0520
Rep. Rene Oliveira, (512) 463-0640
Rep. John Smithee, (512) 463-0702
Rep. Burt Solomons, (512) 463-0478
Rep. Sylvester Turner, (512) 463-0554