The Texas House rejected a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have mandated the detention of illegal immigrants charged with certain felony crimes, as most Democrats voted against the measure over its potential effect on minority communities.
Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 1 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) was labeled “Jocelyn’s Law” in honor of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, who was sexually assaulted, bound, and strangled in Houston last summer. Two Venezuelan nationals who had entered the country illegally just months earlier have been charged with capital murder in relation to her death.
