All officers and employees of the unit would “have immunity from criminal and civil liability” for performing the activities authorized by H.B. 20.
by Fiona Harrigan
Reason.com
Last week, Texas Rep. Matt Schaefer (R–Tyler) introduced House Bill 20, also known as the Border Protection Unit Act. The bill would expand the mandate of state law enforcement into the federal realm and shield state agents from accountability for their actions. Critics of the legislation warn that it could lead to racial profiling and civil rights violations.
H.B. 20 would create a Border Protection Unit with deputized agents who can “arrest, detain, and deter individuals crossing the border illegally, including with the use of non-deadly force.” The unit will also “oversee the construction and maintenance of walls, fences, and other physical barriers” along Texas’ border with Mexico. “Law-abiding citizens without a felony conviction” will be eligible to join the unit. However, they will not be allowed to perform arrests “unless trained and specifically authorized by the governor.”