Texas law enforcement faces many challenges in policing illegal aliens who have crossed the southern border and are now dispersed throughout the state. While border security measures are already in place, local officers often encounter undocumented individuals during routine duties, highlighting the need for improved data collection and targeted strategies to address crimes committed by these individuals. The proposed strategies in this paper aim to empower peace officers in their efforts to combat illegal alien crime beyond the border.
KEY POINTS
• Many challenges exist when policing illegal aliens in Texas communities including lack of accurate biometric data and language barriers.
• Quality of life for all Texans in negatively impacted when law enforcement cannot police and remove criminal aliens from Texas communities.
• Based on the discrepancies and lack in reporting about crimes, law enforcement severely struggles to record an accurate number of offenses committed by illegal aliens. Accuracy in both crime data and personal identifiers would certainly make crime statistics more accurate and the job of identifying suspects easier.
• The number of illegal aliens in most metropolitan areas is unknown, making it impossible to allocate resources efficiently, particularly when the population estimates are unknown or skewed.
• Even without state legislation giving broader power to peace officers, there is already legal authority and directives in place for all peace officers through the United States Department of State as part of consular notification requirements.