MONTGOMERY — Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, filed a bill Monday to expand state and local law enforcement’s power in enforcing federal immigration law.
If enacted, the proposed legislation would enable state and local law enforcement agencies to enter into memorandum of agreement with any federal agency “for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration and customs laws and the detention, removal, and investigation of illegal aliens and the immigration status of any individual in this state.” The state’s attorney general already has the authority to enter these agreements with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The proposed bill allows state and local law enforcement to arrest people who they think are undocumented and to transport these individuals to a federal facility within the state if they are confirmed to be undocumented…