On this edition of Your Call's media roundtable, we discuss Texas' SB 4 immigration law, which gives police the power to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border.
SB 4 seeks to make illegally crossing the border a Class B misdemeanor, carrying a punishment of up to six months in jail. Repeat offenders could face a second-degree felony with a punishment of two to 20 years in prison.
The law also requires state judges to order migrants returned to Mexico if they are convicted. Local law enforcement would be responsible for transporting migrants to the border. A judge could drop the charges if a migrant agrees to return to Mexico voluntarily.
Guest:
Uriel García, immigration reporter at the Texas Tribune
Resources:
The Texas Tribune: Texas’ new immigration law is blocked again
The Texas Tribune: Leader of anti-immigration group Texans for Strong Borders also runs anonymous, hate-filled social media accounts
The New Republic: Texas Just Passed One of the Country’s Most Racist Immigration Laws
