Texas Democrats deal possible fatal blow to Republican border bill with late-night tactic
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 on Tuesday defeated much of a Republican priority bill that would have created a team of police and deputized citizens to patrol the southern border, sending it back to committee with a procedural tactic on the eve of a key deadline.
The watered-down version allows only licensed peace officers to serve in the unit and limits their operations to border counties where commissioners courts consent. The new felony charge is also gone. Democrats in the caucus had been preparing for the fight all Tuesday, using a series of delay tactics like slow-walking bills earlier in the day, raising points of order and peppering the bill author, state Rep. Matt Schaefer, with questions. That kept HB 20 on the floor long enough to all but ensure that a successful point of order would prevent it from coming back in time for a must-pass Thursday deadline.
The change 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 spree for at least another two years.
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