AUSTIN, Texas – Today, Greg Abbott signed an anti-migrant bill aimed at targeting, imprisoning and deporting vulnerable migrants while also criminalizing Texas residents based on their perceived citizenship status and the color of their skin. Pushed by Greg Abbott’s billionaire backers and white supremacist groups – SB 4 oversteps the federal government’s immigration operation while also doubling down on racist ideologies against Black and Brown civilians pushed by a MAGA agenda.

Background: 

SB 4 adds “improper border entry” as a new criminal offense that would place tens of thousands of undocumented Texas residents and migrants in the state criminal justice system and empowers the Texas judicial system to deport vulnerable migrants whose only crime is seeking a better life for their families and the American Dream.

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa issued the following statement: 

“Texas Republican-backed extremist groups with ties to white supremacists ordered Greg Abbott to add the most anti-migrant and unconstitutional border charges to the special legislative sessions agenda earlier this year. And today, Greg Abbott proudly signed legislation that will allow the Texas DPS to imprison Black and Brown migrants based on the color of their skin and perceived citizenship status.

“The events of the last two weeks lay bare that the MAGA Republican Party of today is dominated by white supremacists who continue to poison our society with extreme racist ideologies and have no business leading a state with some of the largest communities of color in the nation. Meanwhile, Texas Democrats from Austin to Washington are hyper-focused on actually working to address our issues at the southern border with data-driven, humane proposals. I want to be crystal clear: SB 4 was not designed to keep our communities safe – its sole purpose is to allow DPS to further patrol majority Black and Brown neighborhoods and throw people in jail for Fox News soundbites.”

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