AUSTIN, TEXAS (AP) -- As President Barack Obama prepared to give a speech on America's "broken immigration system" in Texas, lawmakers in Austin passed a bill that would force local police to give federal immigration offenses the same priority as other crimes.

Republicans in the Texas House approved the bill after hours of emotional and racially-charged debate. Gov. Rick Perry declared the measure to be emergency legislation. He said local law enforcement agencies were not doing enough to catch and deport illegal immigrants.

All of the police chiefs and sheriffs who commented on the proposed law opposed it. Most said they needed to focus on violent crimes and drug offenses. They also feared that enforcing immigration law would sew distrust in minority communities. If signed into law, the bill would forbid those decisions.

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