POLITICS
Texas Wants to Create a State Security Force to Repel Border Crossers
The security force would be a mix of law enforcement and private citizens
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With all of the excitement surrounding the indictment of Trump, we’re kinda losing track of other things that are going on in the country. Like the southern border.
But Texas hasn’t forgotten. There is a bill before the legislature that would create a new Texas state security force to “repel border crossers and do battle with cartel operatives.” The force would be made up of local law enforcement and private citizens “without a felony conviction.”
But wait, it gets better.
The members of the unit would be immune from prosecution and lawsuits as they go about their business of arresting, detaining, and deterring individuals crossing the border illegally including with the use of non-deadly force. Additionally, they could “use force to repel, arrest, and detain known transnational cartel operatives in the border region.”
And it would be cheap too! Everybody in Texas is armed, so they could bring their own weapons. No need to allocate money in the state budget to arm this new private army.
Armed vigilantes stationed at the border with immunity from prosecution. What could possibly go wrong?
There is a companion bill to this one also under consideration. This bill would make it a state crime to cross the border into Texas illegally. The first offense will get you a year in prison. Cross illegally again, and you will get two years in prison. And if you have a prior felony conviction on your record, you will be looking at life in prison.
Yes, I see you in the back, waving your hand. Sit down. A state border army is not unconstitutional. In fact, there is nothing in the Constitution saying that only the federal government has authority over immigration.
Congress’ right to determine immigration policy has long been recognized by the Supreme Court, but we all remember what happened to another right, abortion, that was recognized by the Court until it wasn’t.
