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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Texas portion of the border between the United |
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States and the United Mexican States comprises more than half of the |
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nearly 2,000-mile boundary between the two countries; as a result |
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of this proximity, the State of Texas is uniquely aware of the |
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importance of border protection to the security of the nation as a |
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whole and sensitive to the impact of illegal immigration on the |
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economic and social well-being of both countries; and |
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WHEREAS, In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, border |
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security and immigration have become fundamental issues in the |
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development of national security policy; one such measure, the |
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Secure Border Initiative, was unveiled by the Department of |
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Homeland Security on November 2, 2005, and seeks to secure the |
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United States' international borders by reducing illegal |
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immigration; and |
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WHEREAS, The Office of the Inspector General at the |
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Department of Homeland Security estimates the costs of detaining |
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illegal immigrants to be $1.2 billion annually, and current |
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research indicates that detaining immigrant and asylum-seeking |
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families does not deter illegal immigration; even so, a central |
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component of the Secure Border Initiative is expanded detention |
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authority for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the largest |
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investigative branch of the department; and |
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WHEREAS, Under this authority, the Department of Homeland |
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Security recently opened the T. Don Hutto Residential Facility in |
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Taylor, Texas, for the exclusive purpose of detaining immigrant and |
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asylum-seeking families who are awaiting immigration or |
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deportation proceedings; and |
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WHEREAS, Of the 400 people detained in this privately owned |
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and operated, for-profit detention center, approximately 200 are |
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children; a typical day for a child detained at the Taylor facility |
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includes only four hours of education and one hour of outdoor |
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recreation; the meals served are reported to have caused digestive |
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problems for the children, including infants who are forced to |
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consume formula beyond the advised date due to a lack of alternative |
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nutrition; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States house and senate committees on |
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appropriations have each expressed concern about children of |
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families detained at the center, particularly about reports that |
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many have been removed from their families and placed in separate |
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facilities operated by the Office of Refugee Resettlement; and |
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WHEREAS, Children who have had no decisive role in their |
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migration or flight should not be exposed to avoidable trauma; it is |
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clearly within our means to provide these children and infants a |
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safe environment without disruption to their families, nutrition, |
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education, and exercise while their parents await immigration |
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proceedings; and |
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WHEREAS, A valid alternative to the current method of |
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detaining immigrant families would be to release and reunite these |
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children and their parents but closely monitor them under the |
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Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, thereby reducing the |
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emotional consequences to young children and the financial burden |
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to taxpayers; and |
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WHEREAS, Certainly the methods used to decrease illegal |
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immigration and secure our borders must be effective, but |
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considering the apparent consequences of family detention, every |
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possible alternative to family detention should be examined, |
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considered, and exhausted before such action is taken; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully request the U.S. Department of Homeland |
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Security to reconsider all alternatives to the detention of |
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immigrant and asylum-seeking families with children; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, the |
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speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the |
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senate of the United States Congress, all members of the Texas |
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delegation to the congress, and the secretary of the United States |
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Department of Homeland Security, with the request that this |
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resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |