Will Everyone Soon Need A Passport In Texas?

El Paso residents are used to keeping their passports handy as so many travel regularly into Juarez. The rest of Texas may soon need to adopt the same habit.

The lone star state could soon use Missouri's slogan, ("the show me state"), if a recently passed senate bill, (SB 4), holds up against challenges by opponents.

The bill, which just passed both the Texas house and senate, makes it a state crime to enter Texas illegally from another country and opens the door for local law to demand proof of citizenship.

In America, and other countries as well, people are required to show ID when the law asks for it. You can refuse but that typically opens the proverbial "can of worms" and allows the authorities to hold you until they can somehow figure out who you are.

Proper ID may be inconvenient for some, (and a chance to just be difficult for others), but it remains a requirement for living/being in the USA.

Bottom line: anyone in Texas can be stopped and asked to provide ID but now, proof of US citizenship may be called for as well. Residents, citizens from other US states and foreign nationals alike.

Of course, those in favor are cool with it while opponents plan to fight it. Their primary argument being that immigration is a federal matter and states have no right to set policies regarding it.

It's, as usual, more about politics than anything else. As for who gets their way, we'll have to wait and see ...