The state of Texas has a new law, set to take effect on March 1, 2024, that makes sneaking across the border a state crime. Migrants arrested under the law will receive a court order to leave the country or face prosecution on misdemeanor charges, punishable by jail time or a fine of $2,000. Those who do not comply are subject to rearrest on felony charges.
The impending law has inspired a rush on the part of illegals to cross the border soon, to avoid the state charges. Reporters from the New York Post spoke with several newcomers about the added urgency.
“We need to get to America fast,” said Fernando Valencia, 36, of Venezuela. “With the new laws in Texas, we have a better chance of getting into America now than if we wait. We came to the border as soon as we heard about the new law. We had somewhere to stay in Mexico but we needed to leave.”
The migrants were unanimous in declaring themselves “asylum seekers,” though most admit they do not qualify under U.S. law, which requires a would-be asylee to have fled personal danger and not simply the lack of economic opportunity. Another Venezuelan told the Post: “There’s no opportunity in Venezuela. It’s not dangerous but the economy is bad.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott says he expects the law to decrease the number of people crossing illegally into the U.S. through Texas by “well over 50%, maybe 75%.” The law must first be allowed to take effect, however, and an army of immigration lawyers and Democrat politicians are not surprisingly gearing up to contest it.
For more, see the New York Post.