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Illegal immigration took center stage in the Texas House Wednesday during consideration of a bill to boost pay for low-income foster parents caring for a foster child who is a relative.

State Rep. Mark Keough, R-The Woodlands, proposed an amendment to House Bill 4 that would have prohibited unauthorized immigrants from receiving the pay increase.

Here we are starting off a program right off the bat and paying monies to somebody who is not a documented citizen. I have a hard time with that Keough said.

Several House Democrats pounced, accusing Keough, a former car dealership sales manager, of being racist and a hypocrite for doing business with at least one person in the country illegally, and for putting politics before vulnerable children.

State Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, the most vocally opposed to Keoughs proposal, said it was shameful that the House descended into an illegal immigration debate on the first day of real business for the chamber this session.

When we got up this morning, we thought we were going to come here and talk about kids and how were going to protect kids. The debate has now turned into an immigration debate, Anchia said. These kids are innocent. They dont get to pick who their parents are, who their extended family are, who their caregivers are. Theyre just trying to survive.

Byron Cook, a Republican from Corsicana, also was unhappy with Keoughs amendment.

Im pretty heartbroken to be part of this today. We came here to take care of children, children that cant help their circumstance. If we put children first, we wouldnt be obsessive about whos providing the care, Cook said.

After proclaiming that he was not a racist, Keough eventually withdrew his amendment and House members unanimously gave initial approval of the bill.

Under the bill which was filed by Rep. Cindy Burkett, R-Sunnyvale, families that make no more than 300 percent of the federal poverty level or $72,750 for a family of four, according to 2016 federal guidelines could receive about $4,200 per year per child.

The cost to the state would be $32.5 million over the next two years.

Now, such people who take in family foster children are eligible to receive only a one-time payment of up to $1,000 for the oldest child in a sibling group and $495 for each additional child and an annual payment of up to $500 per child for child-related expenses.

Earlier Wednesday, House members also gave initial approval unanimously on House Bill 5, filed by Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls. It would move the Department of Family and Protective Services out from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission so that the department would become its own agency.

Frank said that the move would allow the department to make quicker decisions without wading through administrative red tape.

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Heated illegal immigration debate interrupts foster care talk in House - Austin American-Statesman