Child and family advocates across Texas say the so-called illegal entry bill could harm children and cause serious lasting effects.
Under the bill, local and state law enforcement could arrest anyone who鈥檚 entered the U.S. unauthorized. Governor Greg Abbott hasn鈥檛 yet signed Senate Bill 4 into law but has said he plans to.
During a press conference organized by the group Children at Risk on Thursday, advocates pointed out that the bill doesn鈥檛 exempt children.
鈥淭he power of peace officers to arrest children even if they prove to later be U.S. citizens, could lead to significant disruption in children鈥檚 lives and education,鈥� said Linda Corchado, director of Children鈥檚 Immigration Network at Children at Risk. 鈥淎larmingly, the bill allows for children to be expelled to Mexico under its return order provision, increasing their vulnerability to dangers such as sex trafficking and violence.鈥�
In North Texas, nearly 38 percent of children live in a mixed-status family, which means at least one parent is foreign-born. In Houston, nearly 44 percent of children are in mixed-status families.
Jenifer Wolf-Williams, executive director of HOME, or Humanitarian Outreach for Migrant Emotional Health, is concerned about the trauma this legislation could inflict on children. She said kids need to know their parents will make it home safely at the end of the workday or that they won鈥檛 be targeted while dropping them off at school.
鈥淭here is zero mystery regarding psychological impact on affected children,鈥� Wolf-Williams said. 鈥淒ecades of research have repeatedly shown that separating, detaining or deporting families causes long-term psychological and physical harm.鈥�
Some of the long-term effects, she added, could include damage to a child鈥檚 cognitive, emotional and social functions.
Shalaina Abioye, executive director of the Human Rights Initiative in North Texas, called the bill 鈥渋nhumane and discriminatory鈥� and said it could affect individuals who have legal protection.
Many of the people Abioye serves are already distrustful of people in positions of power. This bill, she said, would force people to hide and could break the trust between law enforcement and communities of color.
鈥淭his may cause immigrants to not call law enforcement for emergencies or public safety needs because of their increased fear of detainment or unlawful unrest unrelated to that emergency or public safety need,鈥� Abioye said.
Human rights and immigrant advocates say they鈥檙e stepping up efforts to help clients and others who might be affected after the bill is signed into law. Abioye said everyone should know their rights and have a plan should a loved one be detained.
鈥淚f anyone is asked about their immigration status by law enforcement, they should not answer those questions, including where they are born, how they entered the U.S., if they are a citizen or if they are a permanent resident,鈥� Abioye said. 鈥淭hey have the right to remain silent.鈥�
Some worry about the potential economic impact of the bill, especially in a state with a significant immigrant workforce. In North Texas alone, more than 575,000 workers don鈥檛 have legal status, according to Juan Carlos Cerda, State Director of the American Business Immigration Coalition.
Statewide, 27 percent of the construction industry is undocumented while 33 percent of agricultural workers don鈥檛 have legal status.
鈥淭hese facts mean that a police officer has no way of knowing if a construction worker on a roof has crossed the border without inspection, other than by asking that construction worker or by assuming that the construction worker crossed the border without legal status,鈥� Cerda said.
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