One day after the terrorist attack in Brussels, Texas lawmakers met in Austin on Wednesday morning to discuss state security along the U.S.-Mexico border, and how to prevent a similar tragedy on Texas soil.
Wednesday’s agenda for the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and Military Installations and Border Security Subcommittee hearing included a discussion on the local efforts to secure border communities.
“We are here today to discuss where the state can act or what may be unfortunately where we cannot act,” State Senator Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, and Chairman of the committee said. “Our first duty as representatives of the people of Texas is their safety.”
However, shortly after the hearing convened, the conversation shifted toward the recent deadly attacks abroad.
“With all that we’re spending, all the activity that law enforcement in our state and country,” State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, said. “Why we are not able to identify these individuals and stop something as horrific as what happened yesterday in Brussels.”
Lucio said protecting the Texas-Mexico border and preventing these tragedies go hand in hand.
“If we are going to spend a hundred million or two hundred million—800 million—a billion dollars in this state,” Lucio said, “I think the people of Texas would like to see results before a tragedy occurs.”
The lawmakers agreed on the priority to keep Texans safe. However, lawmakers disagreed on the way the federal government has dealt with illegal immigration, specifically with the Secure Communities deportation program launched in 2008 under the Obama administration.
“The intent of secure communities was not to focus exclusively on violent criminals or as you call them hardened criminals,” Jessica Vaughan with the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington D.C. said during her testimony on Wednesday.
“With all due respect I am just going to disagree with you that is not my understanding,” State Sen. Jose Rodriguez, D-El Paso, said. “I work with secure communities, we implemented it in El Paso county. We have to take into account that immigration is a very complex arena.”
Lawmakers said they plan to meet again before the next legislative session to come up with a state policy that works in conjunction with the already existing federal policy.
