Divided House committee advances $1.5B proposal to build wall along Texas-Mexico border

In a testy meeting that touched on many highly charged issues tied to the Texas-Mexico border, the state House Appropriations Committee advanced a $1.5 billion proposal to construct 50 miles of wall along the Texas-Mexico boundary.

House Bill 6, authored by Rep. Jacey Jetton, R-Richmond, would direct the border barrier funding to the governor's office on top of existing funds earmarked to build a wall to deter illegal immigration and guide migration patterns to legal ports of entry.

As the bill advanced from the committee Monday by a 14-9 vote, several lawmakers questioned and were concerned by limited parameters on where the wall could be placed and what it will actually look like, the pace of its construction, interactions in securing land from landowners and whether the physical deterrent is worth the cost.

During the marathon committee hearing, county sheriffs from the border region, representatives from Abbott's office and proponents of the bill testified about the need for additional miles of border wall to support Texas' multipronged border policy.

"The reason that we're talking about having to spend another 1.5 billion on that is because of the failure of the federal government to do this," Jetton told committee members as he defended his bill Monday morning. "We have a problem on our southern border."

More: Texas developer disputes political assertions community is a haven for unlawful immigrants

Others testifying before the committee decried the legislation as Democratic lawmakers questioned the proposal's efficacy and the potential for a lack of transparency on the wall's construction, while agreeing the state does have a problem on its southern border.

Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas, asked if the one-page proposal would allow the state to use eminent domain to secure land for the wall's construction. Jetton said that is not the plan, although the bill does not specify limitations on land acquisition, the type of "border barrier" to be installed or its placement along the border.

"I'm not aware of any intention to do so; all of these have been voluntary easement agreements with landowners," Jetton said.

More: Early voting in Texas starts Oct. 23. Find your polling location and what you need to vote.

Lawmakers also asked about the timing and need for additional border wall funding as the Legislature during the regular session in spring allocated over $5 billion for border security initiatives.

Sarah Hicks, Abbott's senior adviser and budget director, told the committee the funding request comes as the pace at which current border wall projects are being built is speeding up — with a target of a half-mile of wall construction per week expected in the coming weeks and a mile per week anticipated toward the end of the year.

"It is a significant difference in the stage in which they are today," Hicks said of the 40 miles of border wall the state currently has under construction, which has cost just shy of $1 billion.

The current wall construction project is expected to wrap up by March, and any additional funding the Legislature approves to build more border wall will be anticipated to finish construction in late 2026, she said.

If the Legislature OKs the additional funding, the state will have earmarked roughly $3 billion to erect just over 100 miles of border wall, Hicks said.

Michael Banks, Abbott's so called "border czar," testified Monday that wall segments are a real help in sending migrant flows to more favorable locations for law enforcement and serve as an ally to officers in the region.

"The biggest gain you can see from the infrastructure is the ability to control an area with much less manpower," Banks said.

Currently, there are 267 miles of completed border wall funded by the federal government, plus 11 miles of a state-funded, noncontiguous wall.

More: Dan Patrick says he'll buy bonds for Israel weeks after political donor meets white supremacist

Across many back-and-forth comments blaming the country's immigration situation on the federal government, which oversees and is ultimately responsible for the country's border and immigration policies, some Democratic lawmakers were not excited about furthering Jetton's wall conversation, which they viewed as incomplete and underdeveloped.

"There's no federal plan, so let's get even with no state plan," said Rep. John Bryant, D-Dallas.

Rep. Jarvis Johnson, D-Houston, was more pointed in his opposition to the bill as he pushed back on testimony from several border sheriffs, which resulted in outcry from Republican members on the committee.

"Toth, if you don’t shut up," Johnson said to Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, during one of the meeting's most heated moments. "I didn’t call anything you said stupid … which it was."

The committee's chairman, Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, quickly ended the exchange and reminded the members to interact with decorum.

In addition to the border barrier bill passing from the committee Monday evening, members have also advanced legislation to increase penalties for human smuggling and operating stash houses as well as a proposal to raise penalties for illegal border crossings.

Last week, Abbott expanded his special session call to allow officials to pass legislation to "do more to reduce illegal immigration by creating criminal offenses for illegal entry into this state from a foreign nation and illegal reentry or presence following denial of admission, exclusion, deportation, or removal; authorizing all licensed peace officers to remove illegal immigrants from Texas."

The full House is expected to take up bills on increased penalties for human smuggling, illegal entry or "illegal presence" in Texas and border wall construction Wednesday.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas House committee advances $1.5B proposal to build border wall