Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a new anti-smuggling law last month that increases the penalty for human smuggling. It also removes the need for prosecutors prove that a smuggler received payment for the smuggling. He explains that Senate Bill 576 will expand the tools that will “help us crackdown on human smuggling and keep our communities safe.”
Governor Abbott signed the bill on September 22 at a ceremony in McAllen, a border town that serves as a major port of entry. State Representative JM Lozano, a Republican from Portland who sponsored the bill, joined the governor during the signing ceremony.
Senate Bill 576
According to the new law, human smuggling is defined as:
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