Behind the Scenes of One of the Most Important Bills I’ve Ever Written
Most bills are written by senators and their staff, or by my staff. I review them closely to see if any changes are needed. At times, there are changes that need to be made, but not often. The senators and my staff are all very good at what they do.
Senate Bill 4 was different. In 2023, late one evening near the end of session, I wrote the bill with my legal team.
The purpose of Senate Bill 4 is simple:
The bill creates a state crime for crossing our border illegally and protects our citizens from these illegal crossers, including criminals who endanger our communities.
I felt strongly we needed a law like this in place in case we ever have another rogue, open-border president like Joe Biden in the future.
The Feds under Joe Biden told us we couldn’t do this, that only they had the authority to enforce the border. I disagreed.
Some criticized my bill, saying it was a waste of time and would be struck down in the courts. Once again, I disagreed.
I am grateful that the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has once again agreed with me that SB 4 should go into effect. States have the constitutional right to protect their citizens and to arrest, jail, and send back those who cross the border illegally.
Based on earlier Supreme Court actions, I believe this bill will be ruled constitutional when the open-border liberals appeal this case to the Supreme Court.
More about SB 4:
- SB 4 creates a new state crime for entering Texas illegally from a foreign country.
- SB 4 authorizes Texas law enforcement to arrest and prosecute all people who cross the border illegally anywhere in Texas.
- The bill requires every arrested illegal border crosser to be fingerprinted and have a background check.
- Punishment starts with up to 6 months in jail for a first-time offender and two years in state jail for a second-time offender.
- After magistration, an illegal border-crosser can be returned to a port of entry and ordered to return to the country from which they entered.
- If they fail to do so, they face even stiffer penalties, up to 20 years in prison.
Thank you for all your support over the years and for everything you do to keep Texas red. May God bless you and your family, and may He continue to bless the greatest state of all—Texas.
Sincerely,
Dan Patrick
Lieutenant Governor of Texas