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Senate committee advances SJR1 after testimony warns it could deny bail to immigrants
Summary
The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice voted to report Committee Substitute for Senate Joint Resolution 1 to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation after testimony raised constitutional, practical and fiscal concerns about a provision that would categorically deny bail to people described as "illegal aliens."
The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice on Thursday voted to report Committee Substitute for Senate Joint Resolution 1 to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation after roughly two hours of testimony and questions about due process and state-federal conflicts.
Supporters of the resolution said it would allow judges to deny bail in certain serious cases involving noncitizens; opponents said the language is overbroad, raises constitutional concerns and risks shifting detention costs to Texas taxpayers.
Crystal Gomez, an immigration attorney representing the Texas chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the resolution’s definition of “illegal alien” is “deeply…
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