Texas Gov. Abbott wants a statewide prosecutor, DA impeachment process

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott unveiled four public safety initiatives he plans to push in the 2027 Texas legislative session, including the establishment of a new statewide prosecutor's office.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, May 14, at the Austin Police Association headquarters, Abbott said the agenda is a direct response to crime victims who feel that the state's current criminal justice system has failed them.

"I am here today to provide them with solutions that we are going to pass this next session to ensure that victims' rights are fought for and we have their back and we are going to make our communities safer," Abbott said.

The four initiatives are:

• Deny bail for criminal illegal immigrants.
• Establish a Texas statewide prosecutor.
• Impeach rogue district attorneys.
• Expand the Texas Repeat Offender Taskforce.

Here is a closer look at each.

Denying bail for criminal illegal immigrants

In 2025, the Texas Legislature passed and Texas voters approved Senate Joint Resolution 5 — a constitutional amendment requiring the denial of bail under certain circumstances, including:

• Murder.
• Aggravated assault.
• Aggravated sexual assault.
• Indecency with a child.
• Human trafficking.

The amendment would allow state prosecutors to keep the defendant in jail if they prove the person is likely to skip court or pose a danger to the community, victims or law enforcement. If judges decide to grant bail, under the new rule, they would have to provide detailed explanations for their decisions.

However, Abbott wants to expand this.

"We want to ensure that any illegal immigrant who is in Texas illegally and commits a felony is going to be arrested and be behind bars and denied bail while they are awaiting trial for the felony they were arrested for," Abbott said.

Abbott said the need for a new law to address this is because those here illegally are at a greater flight risk than anyone else, pointing to the murders of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray as examples.

Establishing a Texas statewide prosecutor

The governor is also looking at a law during the next session that would establish a new office — the Texas statewide prosecutor — that would step in when district attorneys fail to indict and prosecute dangerous criminals.

"This state prosecutor is going to ensure that we have a back stop that will fulfill our obligation as a state to ensure justice is done for every single victim," Abbott said.

Impeaching rogue Texas district attorneys

Abbott said all Texas officeholders are subject to impeachment proceedings except for one office.

"The only elected official I'm aware of who is not subject to impeachment is a district attorney," Abbott said. "Why are they excluded? They don't need to be excluded."

Abbott pushed back on suggestions to impeach district attorneys — conducted by the Texas Legislature — for turning political, noting that there have been only three in the past 100 years of Texas history.

“(James) ‘Pa’ Ferguson, 100 years ago, was impeached. He was a governor. There was a district judge (O.P. Carrillo) impeached in 1975. And then the last impeachment (that) took place was of the current attorney general (Ken Paxton),” Abbott said.

Paxton was impeached by the Texas House in May 2023 but acquitted by the Texas Senate four months later, allowing him to remain in office. Only Ferguson and Carrillo were ultimately removed.

Expanding the Texas Repeat Offender Taskforce

"Most violent crime is committed by repeat offenders," Abbott said.

According to Abbott's office, the Texas Department of Public Safety is immediately expanding the Texas Repeat Offender Taskforce to the Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin metropolitan areas.

The taskforce was originally launched in Houston on October 1, 2025, and the operation led to the arrest of more than 700 repeat offenders who were high-threat criminals and gang members, as well as the confiscation of more than 200,000 doses of fentanyl.

Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at [email protected].