Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Thursday, May 11, 2023.

– Brandon Waltens 

As Trump-era Border Policy Ends, Invasion Gets Worse...

• With the Trump-era Title 42 immigration policy expiring at midnight tonight, thousands are preparing to flood across into Texas and the country illegally. Katy Marshall has the details. 
   

• Title 42 is a public health order that allows customs officials to send illegal aliens from “COVID-19 impacted” areas back across the border without processing them through the federal court system.
   

• The Biden administration has reportedly ordered Border Patrol officers to release illegal aliens into the U.S. without proper processing when the order expires.
   

• According to a new report, if nongovernmental organizations run out of resources to house illegal aliens, Border Patrol will release them without setting a court date or registering them with the immigration program “Alternatives to Detention.” Although they will be on “parole,” Border Patrol will only instruct them to visit an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office.
   

• Already, Border Patrol has apprehended 26,000 illegal aliens and reported more than 7,000 “got-aways” entering the country. A “got-away” is an illegal alien crossing the border seen on camera or involved in a pursuit, but never apprehended.

...But Don't Count on the Texas House to Stop It

• As Texas braces for the coming onslaught, several border security measures were approved in a late-night meeting of the Texas House that lasted until nearly 2 a.m. Sydnie Henry followed the action.
   

• The centerpiece bill, however, was defeated after House Speaker Dade Phelan sustained a point of order on the bill, sending it back to committee past the deadline for bills to be considered.
   

• House Bill 20 by State Rep. Matt Schaefer (R–Tyler) would have created a Border Protection Unit to operate under the authority of the Texas Department of Public Safety. The BPU would be responsible for the construction and maintenance of a physical barrier wall. It would include commissioned and noncommissioned officers in accordance with the needs of the BPU.
   
• Most importantly, per a legislative finding or order from the governor that a state of invasion or imminent danger persists under Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution, the BPU would have the authority to return illegal aliens to Mexico if certain conditions were met.
   

• State Rep. Rafael Anchia (D–Dallas) raised a point of order, arguing that the measure addresses two subjects and that the bill caption was insufficient. House Speaker Dade Phelan (R–Beaumont) sustained Anchia’s motion, killing the bill. Although 10 members can appeal the ruling of the chair, allowing the full body to vote on whether to sustain the ruling, no such vote took place. 

Army Sgt. Daniel Perry Sentenced to 25 Years

• Following the trial of Army Sgt. Daniel Perry, who shot and killed an armed Black Lives Matter protester in the summer of 2020, a verdict has been reached, sentencing Perry to 25 years in prison.  
   

• His sentence could be cut short, however, as Gov. Greg Abbott has asked for an expedited review of the case to issue a pardon. Emily Wilkerson has the story.
   

• In early April, a Travis County jury convicted Perry of murdering 28-year-old Garrett Foster. In downtown Austin on July 25, 2020, Foster had pointed an AK-47 at Perry while a group of BLM protestors surrounded his car and began to bang on it. Perry, who was stationed at Fort Hood and was driving for Uber for extra income, says he honked his car horn at protestors blocking an intersection. Perry’s defense team says Foster raised the firearm at Perry, leading him to use his handgun in self-defense.
   

• Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, meanwhile, has received more than $400,000 from a George Soros-backed group.
   

• Gov. Greg Abbott has requested a recommendation for a pardon from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which the Texas Constitution requires prior to a pardon by the governor.

Tarrant County Judge Seeks to Protect Children

• After a man dressed in lingerie performed at a drag show for children in Fort Worth with his crotch completely exposed, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare says Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar needs to hold businesses accountable for these sexually charged events. Soli Rice has the story. 
   

• In March 2023, a  drag show targeting children was hosted by a performance venue in Fort Worth called Tulips FTW. During this event, children in the crowd were exposed to the crotch of a man, who performed in lingerie. Children were also given cash by their parents to tip the male performers, similar to a strip club.
   

• O’Hare says Tulips FTW may have acted as a “sexually-oriented business” with potentially “nude” performers and should be subject to paying a sexually oriented business fee by the Comptroller.
   

• While Hegar has investigated similar venues previously to determine if they are required to pay the fee, none have yet resulted in fines. As of publication, Hegar did not return Texas Scorecard’s request for comment.

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