Soldiers with the Texas Army National Guard may now arrest aliens suspected of violating federal immigration laws, including illegal entry, after a memo signed by Gov. Greg Abbott alongside Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Pete Flores essentially deputized the guard with federal law enforcement powers.
The move was announced just before Abbott’s State of the State address, where he also revealed a directive to state law enforcement agencies to enter into similar memos — indicating that major state law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), may soon be deputized with similar power.
