Bill > SB8

This bill establishes a comprehensive framework requiring county sheriffs in Texas to enter into immigration law enforcement agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and creates a grant program to support implementation of these agreements. Specifically, the bill mandates that sheriffs who operate or contract with jails must request and enter into federal immigration law enforcement agreements under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws. The bill creates a tiered grant program where sheriffs can receive financial support based on their county's population, ranging from $80,000 for counties under 100,000 people to $140,000 for counties over 1 million people. Grant funds can be used for various purposes including officer compensation, training, equipment, reporting, and inmate confinement costs related to immigration enforcement. The comptroller will administer the grant program and must publicly disclose funding sources, and sheriffs must annually report their efforts to enter these agreements. The attorney general is empowered to take legal action against sheriffs who fail to comply with the law, and county commissioners are prohibited from reducing sheriff department budgets in response to receiving these grants. The bill is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, with sheriffs required to comply by December 1, 2026.

Government Affairs

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SB8