>> no papers? >> no fear! >> reporter: state senator charles perry, who co-sponsored the measure, claims this bill will make texas communities safer. >> it's about protecting we don't want those individuals that have committed crimes, illegal or otherwise, that when they had an opportunity to be locked up for public safety, to be released at the discretion of a local law enforcement. >> reporter: the bill will give every texas police officer and sheriff's deputy the power to enforce federal immigration laws. peace officers can ask the immigration status of anyone under arrest or even detained. travis county judge sarah eckhardt says the new law will unfairly target texas' large mexican and central american communities. >> they feel that they're being hunted. even the native born are in fear that they're going to be pulled over and asked by a police officer whether they belong here or not. even if they've been here for generations. >> reporter: a syracuse university project showed that...

peace officers can ask the immigration status of anyone under arrest or even detained. travis county judge sarah eckhardt says the new law will unfairly target texas' large mexican and central american communities. >> they feel that they're being hunted. even the native born are in fear that they're going to be pulled over and asked by a police officer whether they belong here or not. even if they've been here for generations. >> reporter: a syracuse university project showed that between 2014 and 2016, texas police complied with federal requests and detained more than 35,000 undocumented people. that's 20,000 more than the state of california detained. criticized by police chiefs from dallas to san antonio. under the measure, officers who exercise discretion and do not comply with federal immigration requests could be charged with a misdemeanor. >> if the state has chosen to conscript us as immigration officials, we will have to comply. >> reporter: texas governor greg abbott tweeted...