subject: Debbie Riddle's Texas Trespass Bill Will Make Illegals Presence A State Crime [print this page] HOUSTON State Representative Debbie Riddle (R District 150) will again file a bill that allows state and local law enforcement officers to arrest those who are in the country illegally.
Last session, Riddle filed House Bill 49, which would have created a new criminal violation: Criminal Trespass by Illegal Aliens. She says she will introduce the same measure during the pre-filing period in November that precedes the new Texas legislative session in January.
Despite all the national controversy, this is a common sense bill, pure and simple, Riddle said. It does nothing but allow law enforcement to do their job: arrest those who are breaking the law.
Unlike a similar act passed recently in Arizona, Riddles bill requires law enforcement to confirm the immigration status of a suspect with US Customs and Immigration Enforcement before making an arrest and does not require the suspect to produce identification. Under the language of HB 49, an officer would have to have reasonable suspicion that the person was present in the country illegally before making the inquiry.
Riddle said she believes the legislature will pass the bill in the upcoming session.
Nothing less than our national security is at stake when it comes to illegal immigration, Riddle said. With the violence escalating along the border, the rest of the state and country has suddenly awakened to a reality that my district has known all along: the safety and security of our citizens is in jeopardy and will continue to be in jeopardy until we secure our border.
