A new state law that increases penalties for human smuggling goes into effect in Texas, establishing a minimum sentence of 10 years for those convicted of this crime or for operating a safe house. Senate Bill 4 modifies previously established penalties, raising the minimum sentence from two to ten years for those involved in smuggling immigrants or operating safe houses.
Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill into law in December, highlighting the need for Texas to defend itself from drug cartels and blaming the immigration policies of Democratic President Joe Biden's administration. “Biden's deliberate inaction has left Texas adrift,” Abbott declared during the signing ceremony in Brownsville on December 18.
Abbott allocated more than US$10,000,000,000 since 2021 under the banner of “Operation Lone Star” to deter people from illegally crossing the border into Texas. During last year's legislative sessions, the governor pressured lawmakers to pass a series of immigration-related laws.
However, immigrant rights advocates have expressed concern about the consequences of these measures, according to the Texas Tribune. According to activists, increasing penalties for human smuggling will only contribute to increasing the prison population without deterring crime.
Texas approves set of laws to try to stop migration
Senate Bill 4 was one of three high-profile immigration-related laws approved last year and signed by the governor in December. Additionally, Senate Bill 3 allocates $1.54 billion in state funds to continue construction of barriers along the Texas-Mexico border, and allows the state to spend up to $40 million on state police patrols in Colony. Ridge, a housing development near Houston that far-right publications say is a magnet for undocumented immigrants.
The militarization of the Texas-Mexico border is seen as unnecessary by some activists.
These efforts are in addition to at least US$1,500,000,000 in contracts issued since September 2021 to build border barriers. As of August, Texas had erected 25 kilometers of steel pile barriers in Starr, Cameron, Val Verde and Webb counties.
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