AUSTIN - The ACLU says that while next Wednesday’s State Affairs Committee hearing on border security will likely grab much attention, a key border bill being heard by another panel on Monday should not be overlooked.

“We actually hope that HB 2155 and its companion in the
Senate, SB 152, will start an important conversation on border security that will carry over to the State Affairs Committee hearing and continue right through the session,” said Rebecca Bernhardt, the ACLU’s
immigration, border and national security policy director.

HB 2155, authored by Rep. Juan Escobar, D-Kingsville, is
being heard by the Border and International Affairs Committee on Monday. It is the companion bill to SB 152, authored by Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso.

Both bills require law enforcement agencies to report to the Department of Public Safety information establishing the effectiveness of border enforcement programs in stopping terrorism, official corruption, violent crime and organized crime.

Gov. Rick Perry’s Operation Linebacker program used $10 million from the federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. Previously, JAG funds were used on Texas’ scandal-ridden and now defunct regional drug task forces.

Bernhardt said that in the face of reports of misuse of
border security funding, HB 2155 and SB 152 would “ensure that our tax
dollars are used effectively in fighting crime on the border.”

Bernhardt said that would be achieved by establishing a
performance review system with the Department of Public Safety that would insure federal grant monies are utilized solely for the purposes
intended.

The bill also requires DPS to assess the effectiveness of
Homeland Security funding in achieving its goals – stopping terrorism,
official corruption, violent and organized crime – and make program
improvements in response to these reviews.

“Throwing money at the border crisis is not enough,”
Bernhardt said. “When government spends large amounts of money on a new
program without creating clear guidelines for how to use it, the money
is easily misused and taxpayers end up the losers.”

Bernhardt pointed to a recent El Paso Times article which
showed that for every criminal arrest made with border security
funding, seven immigrants are referred to Immigration officials.

“The time spent by border law enforcement doing the job of
immigration agents is wasted money that could be better used targeting
major criminal drug cartels,” Bernhardt said.

Bernhardt said regular performance reviews would ensure that
the state is doing everything it can to make sure border security
programs are effective.

“Border security funding, like all governmental programs,
should come with accountability and guidelines,” she said.
“Implementing a system of accountability for border security money is a
practical and effective way to improve the quality of border law
enforcement efforts.”

Bernhardt said focusing on official corruption would ensure
that taxpayer dollars are not wasted creating more crime. “Local law
enforcement is struggling to fight the influence of drug cartel money
on crime-fighting efforts,” she said. “We need to ensure we are doing
everything we can to support border law enforcement efforts by making
the elimination of official corruption our top priority.”

Next Wednesday’s State Affairs Committee hearing, being
staged jointly with by the Border and International Affairs Committee,
will take invited testimony on immigration and border security. The
following week, the State Affairs Committee will consider Gov. Rick
Perry’s $100 million border security package.

The ACLU is one of the groups that helped launch TRUST, a
coalition of business, religious and advocacy groups concerned about
anti-immigrant legislation.

The coalition holds a news conference Monday to release its
legislative principles for next Wednesday’s joint State Affairs and
Border and International Affairs hearing. TRUST stands for Texas
Residents United for a Stronger Texas.