House Bill 17 (HB 17) was filed November 8, 2010 by Representative Debbie Riddle and had a hearing on Tuesday April 19, 2011. It is currently pending in committee. If passed, the bill would take effect September 1, 2011.
HB 17 involves identifying and removing undocumented immigrants during police stops if the police officer has probable cause to believe the suspect is without legal documentation. The full text of the page long house bill can be found here: House Bill 17.
This Arizona-style immigration enforcement bill would allow police officers to violate Federal law and encourage racial profiling of Hispanics. Police officers would be allowed to question suspects about their immigration based on subjective “reasonable suspicion” that the suspect does not have legal documentation. This bill would not protect legal immigrants who are either awaiting court hearings or H-1B visa holders awaiting extensions to their visa.
HB 17 would make it a Class B Misdemeanor to be in Texas without legal documents, punishable by jail time up to 180 days and a fine of up to $2,000.00. HB 17 is unconstitutional, since states are not permitted to establish their own independent immigration policies or obstruct federal immigration law.
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