Texas Republicans propose aggressive immigration enforcement measures.

Texas Republicans are pushing for a new bill that would establish a taskforce using civilians to "arrest, apprehend or detain persons crossing the Texas-Mexico border unlawfully," raising concerns around state-sponsored vigilantism. The proposed unit was renamed the "Texas border force" and put under the command of the Texas ranger division. The bill could include civilians with prior military experience among its members, who would be granted some immunity from prosecution for actions they carried out as members of the force. Immigration and civil rights activists have condemned the legislation and said its potential passage was "disheartening."