Texas Lawmaker Threatens Gun Violence In Scuffle Over Anti-Sanctuary Bill

AUSTIN , TX — Chaos erupted Monday when threats, shouting and shoving broke out in the Texas House of Representatives after a Republican lawmaker called Immigration and Customs Enforcement on protesters opposing the state’s new sanctuary cities law.

State troopers were reportedly called to clear the gallery of protesters, and a scuffle broke out between Republicans and Democrats. Video from the scene shows lawmakers shouting and pushing each other, with each side accusing the other of instigating violence. By the end of the session, one lawmaker threatened to shoot another.

Watch: Pro-Immigration Protests Disrupt Texas House

State Rep. Matt Rinaldi, a Republican from Irving, later admitted to making the threat, but in a statement issued via Twitter, he said it was in self-defense. He also said he is now under the protection of the Department of Public Safety following threats from other lawmakers and activists.

“I called ICE on several illegal immigrants who held signs in the gallery that said, ‘I am an illegal immigrant and here to stay.’ Several Democrats encouraged the protesters to disobey law enforcement. When I told the Democrats I called ICE, Representative Ramon Romero physically assaulted me, and other Democrats were held back by colleagues. During that time, (Representative Poncho Nevarez) told me that he would ‘get me on the way to my car,'” Rinaldi said in a statement issued via Twitter. “I made it clear that if he attempted to, in his words, ‘Get me,’ I would shoot him in self defense.”

Nevarez, a Democrat from Eagle Pass, refuted Rinaldi’s account. “He's a liar and hateful man. Got no use for him. God bless him,” he tweeted.

In a press conference after the melee, Democrats alleged Rinaldi threatened to put a bullet in Nevarez’s head. Democratic lawmakers also accused Rinaldi of cursing at them while making threats.

"Matt Rinaldi gave the perfect example of why there's a problem with SB 4," Rep. Ramon Romero, a Democrat from Fort Worth, told the told The Texas Tribune. "Matt Rinaldi looked into the gallery and saw Hispanic people and automatically assumed they were undocumented. He racially profiled every single person that was in the gallery today. He created the scenario that so many of us fear."

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SB4 is one of the nation’s most aggressive laws aimed at forcing police departments and local jurisdictions to cooperate with detention requests made by ICE. Under the new law, police officials could face fines and jail time or be removed from office outright unless they cooperate with ICE in holding criminal suspects for possible deportation.

Image: KVUE screengrab