Securing the Texas/Mexico border is a very important issue
for a long time, and it is a big issue that has come up in the current Texas
Lieutenant Governor’s March 27th, 2014 Republican Primary Runoff
Election between Dan Patrick and David
Dewhurst. It has been for a very long time that the border and illegal
immigration has been an issue, but yet it seems as if nothing has been done.
There were National Guard troops there at one point but they have been scaled
back for some time now and Texas has not stepped in to do much to fill in the
void. My brother served on the border for a year and personally witnessed battles
and explosions along the border. This is Texas for crying out loud, why have we
not been able to do anything significant to protect our border? I believe this
lack of sufficient action reflects poorly on the current leadership. That is a
key reason why Conservative Dan Patrick is challenging the current leadership. Is
David Dewhurst a really bad guy or a liberal? No, but Texas needs leadership
that will not back down and take Texas to the next level of getting things done
instead of playing politics. That is why Texas elected Ted Cruz as our US
Senator instead of David Dewhurst. I believe that most of us Texans would agree
that Ted Cruz was the right man for the job and has done an amazing Job
standing up for conservative values and fighting instead of compromising.
On top of a lack of meaningful border security, there has
also been a lack of meaningful legislation to “stop the magnet” so to speak. In
other words, we have to secure the border, but we also have to end the
incentives that are a magnet for people coming over the border illegally
instead of coming over the right, legal way.
Some supporters of Dewhurst will claim that Patrick or his
supporters are not credible or are lying about Dewhurst on issues like the
border and illegal immigration. Well how about listening to the words of our
trusted US Senator Ted Cruz.
Ted Cruz pointed out
Dewhurst’s hypocrisy during the 2012 U.S. Senate campaign.
During the campaign, Dewhurst said he would not have signed
the in-state tuition bill. Based on Dewhurst’s actions as Lt. Governor, Ted
Cruz said:
"This is another
Republican primary year conversion by David Dewhurst. He was for in-state
tuition for illegal immigrants before he was against it. The next Senator from
Texas needs to be a strong conservative who knows what he believes. I strongly
oppose in-state tuition for illegal aliens, and categorically oppose amnesty or
preferential treatment for illegal immigrants" (Corpus Christi Caller
Times, 09/27/2011).
David Dewhurst’s
Record:
- Dewhurst allowed for the expansion of in-state
tuition of illegal immigrants. Senate Bill
1528 (79-R)
- Dewhurst allowed for the expansion of free
healthcare for illegal immigrants. Senate
Bill 309 (78-R)
- Dewhurst reduced spending on the budget line items
for border security and fighting criminal gangs. LBB
Report White Paper
Dan Patrick’s Record:
Demand Reimbursement from Federal Government
*SCR 6 (2013)- Demands reimbursement by federal
government for border security costs (Dan co-authored).
Proclaims Texas’ dissatisfaction with the federal
government’s inadequate efforts to secure the Texas-Mexico international
border. Urges the Congress of the United States to reimburse the State of Texas
in the amount of $221,600,000 for bearing the financial burden of the federal
government’s responsibility to secure the Texas-Mexico international
border. (Did not pass)
Prohibit Sanctuary Cities
- *SB
358 (2009)- Prohibits Sanctuary Cities (by Dan Patrick)
States that a local governmental entity may not enact a
policy under which the entity will not fully enforce federal immigration
laws. It further provides that if a local entity adopts such a policy, a
private citizen will be able to file a writ of mandamus to compel compliance.
The entity may also lose state grant funds if it adopts such a policy. (Did not
pass)
- *HB
12 (2011)- Prohibited Sanctuary cities (Dan Co-sponsored).
The bill prohibits certain local government entities from
undertaking certain actions that would restrict the enforcement of state and
federal immigration law and by allowing the filing of a related citizen
complaint. (Did not pass)
- *SB
124 (2011)- Prohibits Sanctuary cities (by Dan Patrick)
The bill prohibits certain local government entities from
undertaking certain actions that would restrict the enforcement of state and
federal immigration law and by allowing the filing of a related citizen
complaint. (Did not pass)
- *SB
14 (2013(3))- Prohibits Sanctuary cities (by Dan Patrick)
The bill prohibits certain local government entities from
undertaking certain actions that would restrict the enforcement of state and
federal immigration law and by allowing the filing of a related citizen
complaint. (Did not pass)
Increase Penalties on Illegal Immigration
- *SB
773 (2007)- Made illegal immigration a state crime (by Dan Patrick)
Would have created the offense of criminal trespass by
illegal aliens (Class B) and prescribed certain procedures for arresting
illegal aliens suspected of committing criminal offenses. (Did not pass)
- *HB
260 (2011)- Enhances penalties for human smuggling (Dan Sponsored).
Enhances state human smuggling laws to 2nd degree felony. (Passed)
- *SB
394 (2011)- Created a new offense for unlawful transport of illegal aliens
(by Dan Patrick)
Would have created an offense of unlawful transport of an
undocumented person. (Did not pass)
Discourage Illegal Hiring Practices
- *SB
357 (2009)- Prohibits knowing employment of illegal aliens (by Dan
Patrick)
Would create a prohibition against the knowing employment of
persons not lawfully present in the United States and the suspension of
licenses held by certain employers for the knowing employment of those persons.
(Did not pass)
- *SB
30 (2013 (1)- Prohibits the knowing employment of illegals (by Dan Patrick)
Would prohibit the knowing employment of unauthorized
foreign nationals and to creation of a biennial report regarding reported
violations. (Did not pass)
Remove social enticements to illegals
- SB
268 (2007)- Wire transfer fee revenue to fund border security.
Placed a fee on the wire transfer of small amounts of money
outside the United States and dedicates the revenue to fund increased border
security. (Did not pass)
- *SB
1464 (2007)- Canceled voter registration of non-citizens (Dan joint
authored)
Would cancel voter registrations for non-U.S. citizens.
Requires the secretary of state to cancel an individual’s voter registration
immediately after receiving the list of persons excused from jury summons due
to noncitizenship. This bill also requires the county registrar to send a
written notice to those who have had their voter registration cancelled. (Did
not pass)
- *SB
1784 (2009)-Required lawful presence for getting a driver’s license
(Dan co-authored).
Would have required citizenship or lawful presence in the
United States for issuance of a driver’s license, personal identification
certificate, commercial driver’s license, or commercial driver learner’s
permit. (Did not pass)
Enable local law enforcement
- *HB
13 (2007)-Created Border Security Council (Dan co-sponsored).
Would have improved homeland security in Texas by creating
the Border Security Council, appointed by the governor. The bill provides that
DPS has the primary responsibility to analyze and disseminate criminal intelligence
information and to develop and operate a comprehensive intelligence database.
Additionally, the bill authorizes private institutions of higher education to
increase the security of their campuses and enforcement of state and local law.
(Did not pass)
- *SB
1840 (2007)- Protected the right of law enforcement to inquire into
immigration status (by Dan Patrick)
Protected the authority of a peace officer to inquire into
the immigration status of certain persons after arrest of lawful detention.
(Did not pass)
- *SB
268 (2007)-Placed a fee on money wired outside of US to fund border
initiatives (by Dan Patrick)
Provided for an assessment of a 10 percent wire transfer fee
on amounts up to $5,000 bound for foreign countries. This bill entitles U.S.
citizens who pay this transfer fee to apply for a refund of the fee through the
office of the comptroller of public accounts. Collected funds go into a border
security account and authorizes its appropriation solely by the governor’s
office for programs and initiatives to secure Texas’ international border. (Did
not pass)
- *SB
11 (2009) – Gang enforcement bill (Dan co-authored).
Provides for criminal and civil penalties and enforcement
options for individuals committing offenses related to gang activity; addresses
post-conviction and post-adjudication provisions, provisions relating to an
offense of graffiti, and matters relating to driver’s license restriction;
provides for the electronic monitoring of certain criminal street gang members;
and creates gang- free zones. (Did not pass)
- *SB
2584 (2009)- Required jails to determine citizenship status (by Dan
Patrick)
Would require a sheriff or other officer in charge of a
correctional facility to make a reasonable effort to determine a citizen’s
status, if that defendant received in the facility has been convicted of
certain felonies. (Did not pass)
- *SB
9 (2011)- Immigration Omnibus Bill (Dan joint authored).
The bill contains three main parts: a prohibition on
sanctuary cities; required use of secure communities; and statutory authority
for DPS to authenticate lawful presence when issuing state identification or
driver’s licenses. (Did not pass)
- *SB
126 (2011)- Requires law enforcement to inquire into lawful presence (by
Dan Patrick)
The duty and authority of a peace officer to inquire into
the lawful presence of certain persons. (Did not pass)
- *SB
288 (2011)- Authorizes southbound checkpoints along border (Dan
Co-authored).
Would authorize DPS to operate one or more southbound
vehicle checkpoints near the international border of Texas for the purpose of
preventing certain criminal offenses. (Did not pass)
- *SB
947 (2011)- Allows Border Patrol officers to arrest, search and seizure
under the laws of Texas (by Dan Patrick)
The bill would grant a Customs and Border Protection
Officer or Border Patrol Agent of the United States Customs and Border
Protection or an immigration enforcement agent or deportation officer of the
Department of Homeland Security the powers of arrest, search, and seizure under
the laws of Texas as to felony offenses. (Did not pass)
