With an end of DACA, the Trump administration has turned its attention to undocumented immigration enforcement: increasing the use of private prisons in Texas to house detained undocumented immigrants, targeting businesses that hire undocumented immigrants, and a litany of other “crack downs” designed to achieve maximum political gain for the president and stoke the flames of racism against undocumented immigrants.
Here in Texas, we’ve also been dealing with our own illegal immigration and immigration crime issues.
Paxton Calls for Stricter Penalties for Illegal Immigrants Who Commit Crimes
Attorney General Ken Paxton, who faces trial in December on two first degree felony and one lesser third degree felony securities fraud charges in December, has a hawkish eye to identifying social issues that can help his reelection bid. One of those issues was the tragic deaths of Peter Hacking and his two young children.
Last year, Margarito Quintero Rosales fell asleep while driving and crashed into the Hacking family car, killing the Hackings.
Rosales, who said he had worked 17 hours the day before the crash and four additional hours the day of the crash, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and was sentenced to two years in prison.
Courtney Hacking, the wife and mother of those who were killed in the crash, doesn’t think Rosales’ punishment fits the crime – although the sentence was the maximum under Texas’ state laws for immigrants and non-immigrants alike – saying she takes it both “offensively” and “personally.”
Ken Paxton agreed with those sentiments, telling Fox & Friends, “I think our laws in Texas need to be stricter for this. We’ve been dealing with this for years. Dealing with sanctuary cities, trying to prevent people from coming into our country illegally. This is an area I think the legislature needs to address, because I don’t think the penalties are strong enough for people who commit these types of crimes.”
Paxton went on to say that he is “thankful that the president is making a significant impact” when it comes to securing the border and preventing illegal immigrants from entering our country.
Texans Call Immigration Hotline to Report Their Neighbors
Along with the supposed outrage surrounding the Rosales sentence, some Texans have taken it upon themselves to report and accuse others in their community of committing crimes – or sometimes simply speculating about their immigration status.
Since January, at least eight people from San Antonio and dozens more across the state have called a hotline instituted by President Trump for victims to report crimes committed by suspected undocumented immigrants.
One woman called to say her friend’s boyfriend was in the country illegally and was threatening harm. Another person called simply to report that a local Mexican restaurant was employing “6-10 illegal aliens.”
Yet another went a step further, saying two people “of Mexican origin” were working at a resort, and also provided their names, cars, and license plate numbers, which ended up being posted online.
Despite this program fueling citizens to fear immigration and promoting racism, some people have decided to take a more humorous approach by overloading the hotline with reports about illegal aliens… from space.
Amusingly, the space alien reports seem to be just as substantiated as many of the other reports the hotline receives.
Charged as an Illegal Immigrant? Fight Back with a Skilled Texas Lawyer
With undocumented immigration being politicized more and more every day, it’s imperative to reach out to an experienced Texas immigration attorney if you find yourself facing criminal charges. A skilled attorney will listen to the facts of your case and determine the best way to proceed in order to get the least amount of consequences.
Don’t be a victim to the current hysteria surrounding illegal immigration – stay safe and fight for your rights.