Dallas County Commissioners have a lot of questions about a new bill that makes illegal entry to Texas a state crime.
Chief among those questions: How much would the proposed legislation end up costing taxpayers?
Under the bill, which has headed to the governor to sign, local and state police would be able to arrest someone who entered the state from a foreign country without authorization. A judge or county magistrate could then order the migrant returned to a port of entry after his information is cross-referenced with state and federal databases.
“This will break the county financially,” said Commissioner Andy Sommerman, who pointed out it costs nearly $380 to book someone in jail and $85 every day they’re in there.
Sommerman said there are other costs to consider, including paying for an interpreter and a lawyer.
Assistant County Administrator Charles Reed explained state law enforcement would be required to pick up a person to take to a port of entry within 7 days that the person has been booked in jail.
Reed, however, also pointed out that someone could remain in jail longer if, for example, a judge or magistrate, decided to try the person being held for a particular offense.
“One of the many grievances that opponents of this bill have brought up is the lack of due process and that you have potentially non-lawyer magistrates making this removal determination without any expertise or training in immigration law,” Reed said.
Commissioner John Wiley Price reminded his colleagues that the county jail is currently holding nearly 500 individuals.
Sommerman wondered what would happen to the children of someone who’s detained. Reed said they would likely go into the foster care system if there wasn’t another family member available to care for them.
“And that would further exacerbate the overcrowding that’s leading the kids to sleep in offices and cheap hotel rooms now,” County Judge Clay Jenkins said.
He said kids who are separated from their parents and placed in foster care could end up having emotional and behavioral problems. Jenkins also worries about overcrowding the jail.
“If you fill up your beds and cells with moms and dads who are day workers and restaurant workers and meat packing plant workers with little kids, there’s not room in the jail anymore for people who steal your television set, break into your garage or worse, he said.”
Commissioner Elba Garcia said this law could encourage racial profiling and worries about larger ramifications for the immigrant community.
“My husband has many stories about while driving while brown, show me your papers for people that sound, speak [Spanish] and are essential workers like me,” she said. “And that creates discrimination, disparity, racism…”
Price, however, pushed back against the idea the law would end up being enforced in North Texas.
“It’s not going to happen this far inland…It’s not going to happen this far inland,” he said. “I guarantee you large law enforcement are not going to be concentrating on this.”
The bill discussed by Dallas County commissioners on Tuesday was introduced by Republican State Sen. Charles Perry of Lubbock. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed another immigration-related bill on Tuesday that increased penalties for human smugglers and stash house operators.
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