BREWSTER COUNTY, Texas —
Senate Bill 4 seems like a simple update to what West Texas and state law enforcement can do when dealing with illegal immigrants. However, Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson feels the status quo procedures are simpler for his sheriff's department.
“What we’re going to continue to do is turn over any immigrants we have over to border patrol," Sheriff Dodson said. "I mean they’re the ones that are vested to do all this stuff and that they also have the knowledge, the equipment, the machines, the fingerprint machines and stuff to do that.”
Another reason why Sheriff Dodson said they’ll keep handing illegal immigrants over to border patrol is to make sure everything is done the correct way.
“Our county attorneys and stuff, they’ll prosecute this under this new law, but we got to make sure we’re doing it right," Sheriff Dodson said. "We want to do it right, whatever it is. So right now, we’re going to give them to the border patrol.”
Sheriff Dodson said that before they can effectively enforce the law, logistical issues need to be addressed.
“Our problem is financial; right now, I house some of the Ector County and Pecos County inmates and I make money on them. If we fill our jail up with state prisoners, which is what they’d be, state prisoners, then I have to move my jail space and I have to get rid of my Ector County and my Pecos County inmates to hold them," Sheriff Dodson said. "So, I lose all that money.”
NewsWest 9 reached out to the Midland Police Department for comment on SB 4 and they provided the following statement:
"The Midland Police Department and the City of Midland will wait on the courts to decide whether Senate Bill 4 may be enforced before making any statements on its implementation." - Midland Police Department
The Ector County Sheriff’s Office told NewsWest 9 that if the law is passed, they plan to enforce it.
The Odessa Police Department and Midland County Sheriff’s Office have yet to get back to NewsWest 9 for comment on SB 4.