Texas passed SB4, which allows law enforcement officers to arrest, detain, and deport illegal immigrants.

Posted by The Benny Show, Oct 28, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictTrue

Sources: 4 support2 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 85%

The Benny ShowOct 28, 2026

Texas enacted SB4 (signed by Gov. Abbott in December 2023), and the enrolled bill and multiple tier-1 reports confirm it lets state officers arrest and detain people suspected of illegal entry and lets judges order removal. The claim's wording that officers themselves 'deport' is loose, since the removal orders come from state judges, but the core assertion holds.

What we found

Supports. The enrolled text of S.B. 4 authorizes peace officers to arrest or detain people for the new illegal-entry offenses and authorizes or requires removal of violators.[2]

Supports. CBS News reported Gov. Abbott signed SB4 in December 2023, giving Texas law enforcement the power to stop, arrest and jail migrants and allowing state judges to issue deportation orders.[3]

Supports. Reuters reported in April 2026 that a Fifth Circuit ruling let Texas enforce SB4, which allows state officials to detain and prosecute people suspected of illegal entry.[1]

Supports. The Houston Chronicle reported the measure allows any police officer to arrest migrants suspected of entering illegally and empowers judges to order their removal.[4]

Context. Officers arrest and detain; the deportation mechanism runs through state judges' removal orders, so 'officers deport' is a simplification rather than a contradiction.[4][5]

Context. Sources differ on the passage date (2023 special session per ACLU, 'earlier this year' per CBS), but no source disputes that Texas passed it.[3][6]