HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – The Hays County Commissioners Court will consider adopting a resolution Tuesday calling for due process and humane treatment of immigrants.
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said he’s bringing forward the resolution because of recent federal immigration activity that has caused disorder across the county.
“The resolution I’m presenting on Tuesday is about us being Americans, being respectful, respecting the rule of law,” Becerra said. “What I want to do is help support peace, unity, and harmony throughout our county.”
Becerra said there has been an increase in federal immigration officers detaining people in Hays County since the Trump Administration took office. According to a KXAN special project, over 12,000 undocumented immigrants living in Texas were detained from January to March, the most of any other state.
“I’m not looking for anything except to treat people like humans, be respectful, follow the rule of law, and let’s move in an orderly manner without causing havoc and destruction,” Becerra said.
Texas immigration attorney Adrian Resendez said immigrant detainments have steadily risen in the last several months.
“There are only certain amounts of ICE agents available, and only a certain amount of resources that the government allocated. Now what we’re seeing is a larger allocation of resources, we are seeing a ramping up across the board,” Resendez said.
Fox News reported in May that the Trump Administration raised its ICE arrest target to 3,000 undocumented immigrants per day.
Resendez said he has clients who were following the proper procedures but were still arrested and detained.
“The controversy is now that they are detaining people who technically followed all the rules that were asked of them,” he said. “We are seeing some people being detained who have been here [several years] – they’re permanent residents.”
Resendez said that due process in an immigration context could involve someone arriving in the U.S. to flee danger in their home country. If that claim is deemed credible, they would be given a court date to make their case.
“That court date, that’s the due process that they get,” Resendez said. “In my opinion, I am seeing a lack of due process.”
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