State-Federal Partnerships in Immigration Enforcement: Is the Trend Right for Texas?

This comment focuses on Senator Hutchinson’s and other proposals which integrate federal authority with state and local resources to address the growing problem of illegal immigration. It juxtaposes the voluntary border marshal program with pilot programs in Florida, Alabama, and Arizona developed under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This comment discusses which powers regarding immigration enforcement are reserved to the federal government and which are provided to the states. It explores the role of the Texas Office of State-Federal Relations in shaping Texas’s role in developing immigration policy. Finally, this comment outlines the roles that Texas agencies currently play in immigration enforcement and the impact that certain proposals might have on those agencies.