Texas Legislature Committee

The Texas Legislature created the Joint Committee of the House and Senate in the Investigation of the Texas State Ranger Force in January 1919 after Texas State Representative José T. Canales of Brownsville filed charges against the Texas Rangers. The committee was organized to investigate the actions of the Texas Rangers from 1914 to 1919 with regard to the killings of about 5000 Hispanics after the 1910 Mexican revolution, Pancho Villa's raid on Columbus, New Mexico, and other events along the Texas-Mexico border intensified tensions.

After two weeks of testimony, the committee submitted its report, recommending a reorganization of the Texas Ranger Force. Later that session, the legislature passed House Bill 5 (36th Legislature, Regular Session), authored by Canales, to reduce the number of recruits per unit, institute more competitive salaries, and outline specific procedures for citizens to make complaints against ranger misconduct. The investigation is frequently referred to as the Canales Investigation after Representative José T. Canales, who instigated it.

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