Texas bill HB 20 would create a state-run “border protection unit.”
The unit would be permitted to “arrest, apprehend or detain persons crossing the Texas-Mexico border unlawfully,” an ability that has usually been limited to the federal government.
Texas Democrats have expressed fears that the unit could lead to a “vigilante” group and harassment.
“One of the most concerning provisions overall is the racial profiling that we think is going to happen,” according to Texas state Rep. Victoria Neave Criado (D).
Reporting from The Hill:
Bill sponsor state Rep. Matt Schaefer (R) told an Austin Fox affiliate that the state needs H.B. 20 to provide an additional workforce to replace the Texas National Guard units currently at the border under Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) Operation Lone Star. ... In the April interview, Schaefer dismissed the idea that the unit would be “vigilantes,” saying, “These will be professional state employees under the authority of the Department of Public Safety Commission.”
