Senate: Deport foreign-citizen parolees

By Mike Ward | Monday, May 23, 2011, 07:53 PM

The Texas Senate unanimously approved a bill that would allow Texas to lock up foreign-citizen felons who are paroled to be deported but never are.

House Bill 2734 was seen as a key to prodding the state Board of Pardons and Paroles to parole thousands of foreign-born criminals who are now housed in Texas prisons — and are costing taxpayers millions of dollars each year.

These deportations are seen as one key to reducing prison costs during the next two years to save money.

Under the bill, felons who are not U.S. citizens could be put back in prison if they are not deported by the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Law enforcement and prison officials have complained that many of the convicts who are paroled to be deported are never sent home, and they end up committing new crimes and getting rearrested.

The parole board would attach mandatory conditions to the releases that will allow for the revocation of parole or mandatory supervision for certain illegal criminal aliens in Texas.

While Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, the Senate sponsor of House Bill 2734, added an amendment supporting the Secure Communities Program, he said no aspect of the additional provisions were part of the controversial sanctuary cities bill that has yet to be passed.

HB 2734, by state Rep. Jerry Madden, R-Richardson, now goes back to the House for a review of the Senate amendments.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/ ... zen_p.html