Overview

• Texas Governor Greg Abbott plans to sign a new law making it a state crime for immigrants to enter Texas illegally, and authorizing all police officers in the state to arrest those who do.
• The law, Senate Bill 4, was approved by Texas lawmakers last month and is expected to be signed in two weeks.
• Abbott's announcement comes amid a historic influx of illegal immigrants at the U.S. southern border, which he attributes to President Biden's open border policies.
• Abbott has previously implemented measures such as installing razor wires and building a state border wall, which he claims have resulted in Texas no longer being the number one entry point for illegal immigrants.
• Despite these measures, the U.S.-Mexico border has seen over 2 million illegal crossings in the past year, and encounters with individuals on the terrorist watch list have nearly doubled since last year.