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Today, the Texas House of Representatives gave preliminary approval to House Bill 13 by Rep. David Swinford (R-Dumas) to improve the coordination of homeland security operations along the Texas border and reduce criminal activity.

"Mexican cartels take advantage of our porous border with Mexico to traffic drugs and other criminal activity throughout Texas and the rest of the United States," Rep. Swinford said. "Portions of our border with Mexico are controlled by drug lords where murder and crime is skyrocketing. We must take control of our border, and this legislation will get us closer to that goal."

Swinford's legislation creates the Border Security Council whose members will be appointed by the governor and whose function will be to oversee the distribution of $103 million to border law enforcement agencies. A legislative committee would be created to monitor this activity and report back to the legislature on the effectiveness of these programs. Concurrently, state funds could be leveraged with federal funds under legislation currently pending before Congress.

The bill also encourages cities and counties to cooperate with federal agencies in immigration matters, allowing for the withholding of homeland security funding in the event they actively disregard federal laws. A legislative study will also be conducted to evaluate the expedited deportation of illegal immigrants held in state jails and prisons for criminal offenses.

"This is one of the most important pieces of legislation that we will pass this session as it affects the safety of every citizen of this state and country," Speaker Tom Craddick (R - Midland) said. "I want to thank Chairman Swinford for putting forth a bipartisan bill that will beef up the homeland security structure in Texas."

Before becoming law, the bill must receive a final vote in the House, be approved by the Senate and then signed by the governor.