Texas Senate passes bill requiring local law enforcement to help federal deportation efforts

AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas Senate passed a new bill requiring local law enforcement to help with the federal government's deportation efforts.

Senate Bill 8

What It Says:

The bill, filed by Texas Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) would require the sheriff of each county with a population greater than 100,000 to enter into a written agreement with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement that would allow local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law in some situations.

Any sheriff who does not comply with the law would be subject to action from the Attorney General's Office.

Sheriffs of counties with a population of less than 100,000 may apply for reimbursement assistance grants through the Texas comptroller's office to pay for similar agreements.

The agreements, also known as ICE's 287(g) program, has three models: one that is designed identify and remove people in the country illegally who have criminal or pending criminal charges who are arrested, another that allows law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration authority with ICE oversight and a third to serve warrants to people in the country illegally who are in their agency's jail.

36 Texas counties already have a 287(g) agreement.

What they're saying:

"I thank Sen. Schwerner for this commonsense, critical legislation to keep our state safe," said Lt. Gov. Patrick in a statement.

SB 8 was one of the lieutenant governor's priority bills.

Dig deeper:

What's next:

A companion bill, HB 5580, has been filed in the House.

It must pass the House and be approved by the governor to go into effect.

If passed, sheriffs must apply no later than Dec. 1, 2026.