Bill > HB1645

This bill establishes a new legal mechanism allowing individuals who have been injured or killed by a crime committed by a person unlawfully present in the United States to sue local entities or campus police departments under specific circumstances. If a person can prove that a local entity or campus police department had a policy violating immigration enforcement laws and that this policy directly resulted in the unlawfully present person having access to commit the crime, they can file a civil lawsuit seeking damages. The bill waives sovereign and governmental immunity for such suits, meaning these entities can be legally held responsible. Additionally, the court may award reasonable legal costs and attorney's fees to the prevailing party in such actions. The law would only apply to causes of action that accrue on or after September 1, 2025, and is specifically designed to create a new private civil remedy for victims of crimes committed by undocumented individuals, with the intention of incentivizing stricter immigration enforcement by local government entities.

Government Affairs

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB1645