ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

• Senate Bill 8 (Schwertner, et al. | SP: Spiller, et al.) requires sheriffs of counties that operate or contract with a private vendor for jail operations to enter into a written agreement with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to authorize officers and employees of the sheriff’s department to enforce federal immigration law. The bill also establishes a grant program to assist sheriffs participating in immigration law enforcement agreements.

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• Senate Bill 36 (Parker | SP: Hefner) establishes a Homeland Security Division in the Department of Public Safety for the purpose of leading multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional, and public-private efforts to enhance law enforcement initiatives and operations in support of homeland security objectives in Texas. These objectives include, but are not limited to, border security, planning and preparedness, and the protection of critical infrastructure.

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• House Bill 247 | House Joint Resolution 34 (Guillen | SP: Middleton) creates a property tax exemption for border security infrastructure (BSI). To qualify for the exemption, the BSI must be installed or constructed either pursuant to an agreement with the federal government or the state of Texas or on land subject to an easement in favor of the federal government or the state of Texas for the purpose of border security.