Roberto Pérez is a 35-year-old Guyanese who has lived in Katie, Texas, for 10 years. He settled there, following immigration procedures, with his wife and two daughters.
“The truth is that we haven’t heard much about the new law against migrants,” he replied The final version refers to the new Texas Law SB4, whose draft was approved on Tuesday and which would give local police extraordinary powers to detain foreign suspects who entered the state illegally from abroad.
Knowing some of his rights, Pérez stated: “It’s a complicated issue, but the landlord imposes his rules. The owner of the house (the government of Texas) is trying to prevent immigration, but not regular migration. As Donald Trump said, he does not know who enters and who leaves the border irregularly. If they want to make it legal, welcome,” he commented.
However, SM4 has received a lot of criticism from human rights activists and organizations that consider it unconstitutional. Among other things, the establishment allows police to arrest immigrants who enter the United States irregularly and allows local judges to order them to leave the country for Mexico so they cannot be processed in the United States—aspects that are exclusively handled by the federal government.
Among the most worrying things, it appears that the Foreigners who do not comply with the judge’s order for any reason can be imprisoned for up to 20 years.
Of course I’m worried. It doesn’t seem fair to me. It took me 25 days to get to this state after selling what I had in Maracaibo, to get to this country to start from scratch, but things are going well,” said Ender Escalona, suggesting that name, when referring to his fears.
STEPS: He wants to stay in Austin. Many friends lived there who unfortunately did not help him on Parole.
My plan is to find a job and start managing my documentation. In the morning we talked about what it would mean to approve it. I had to leave their house, not because they asked me to, but to avoid being involved in migrant smuggling. “I don’t want them to put my friends in jail.”
Migrant Smuggling: The Justice
One of the most embraced aspects of SB4, a project that only needs the signature of Governor Greg Abbott and could take effect on December 1, is migrant smuggling. The establishment will toughen the penalties. Some compared it to SB 1718, which took effect in Florida in the middle of the year.
Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have warned about the danger for undocumented immigrants. David Donatti, born in Houston and of Hispanic parents, assures that the police will increase repression and violent actions. Besides entering any house, just on suspicion, he was worried about deadly persecutions.
“We will see more like what we saw this week,” Donatti predicted in an interview with Univision, referring to the crash in which eight people died in Zavala County, including five immigrants, an alleged trafficker, and a Mexican couple in another car. “These priorities, in addition to proving the state’s disregard for the consequences of its violence, will continue to create tragedies. This is dangerous for immigrants and for all of us,” the lawyer criticized.
Long sentence
Roberto Pérez did not know that the law gives the police the power to enter his home if they suspect an irregular migrant. “I have three cousins on the Mexican border and I thought (I still think) about the risks involved in accepting them and helping them find work and get their papers,” he said. .
According to SB4, any person who transports an undocumented immigrant to “encourage” or “induce” him to remain in the US may be committing human trafficking. In addition, more serious consequences are envisaged for human smugglers. According to the ACLU of Texas, even taking someone without legal status to a doctor or giving directions to a stranger can be enough to receive sentences of up to 10 years in prison. “Now I understand the criticism, but the truth is, I can’t do much. This is your house. “They are their rules,” he said.
What does SB4 say? smuggling
The SB4 project increases the penalties for human trafficking up to 10 years. In addition, it establishes a minimum five-year prison term for operators of immigrant shelters. The governor has the final word. If it becomes law, it will take effect on December 1.
In the SB4 initiative, a “partnership” bond was discussed. That is, when a relative is delivered. In this regard, ACLU attorney David Donatti told Univision that this link could mean less severe penalties. However, he saw that as dangerous because Texas courts decide who is or is not a family. “These principles included in the bill contribute to racial profiling in its application,” he added.
In addition, some aggravating factors are also considered that may increase the penalties, such as if the trafficked person is a minor or if there is money in exchange.
