The mass shooting in El Paso has ramped up scrutiny of President Donald Trump's caustic rhetoric about immigrants that critics say creates an environment of hate and division.

Hispanic activists and Democrats say Texas Republican leaders should not only push back against Trump's rhetoric, but also look inward at policies they say are anti-Hispanic and feed the storm of resentment, hate and anger.

For more than a decade, Texas lawmakers have produced legislation and policies aimed at undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Central America, including anti-sanctuary cities laws, voter ID legislation, the attempted purging of Hispanic residents from voter rolls and support for Trump's proposed border wall between the United States and Mexico.

But Republicans say these policies were necessary to keep Texans safe and maintain the integrity of our elections, and there's no connection between them or the rhetoric to the gunman's actions.

Hispanic activists, while not directly blaming Republicans for the shooting that killed 22 people and wounded many more, say the atmosphere in the era of Trump breeds hate.

"In his manifesto the gunman clearly lays out that he's acting because there's an 'invasion' of Texas," Domingo Garcia, a former Texas lawmaker and national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens said from El Paso. "It's clear that President Trump's inflammatory rhetoric and race-baiting has created a dangerous environment. Combined with Republican leaders in Texas making immigrants and Latin residents political piñatas, their policies have created a toxic environment in our political discourse."

The Texas Republican view on immigration issues is in stark contrast with where leaders stood at the dawn of the century, when representatives from both major political parties had what's described as a more compassionate approach to legislation.

A prime example: In 2001, Rick Perry signed into law legislation that allows children brought to the country illegally to pay in-state college tuition. The theory was that all residents deserve a good education, and that such helps the entire state. Only five lawmakers out of 181 voted against the legislation.

"We've gotten away from that recently and started following the rhetoric of Donald Trump," said Mario Carrillo, the Texas director of an advocacy group called America's Voice. "That rhetoric stokes racial resentment and hate."

Carrillo, a Mexican immigrant who grew up in El Paso, said anti-Hispanic legislation in Texas sends the wrong message to residents.

"There's been a pattern of legislation that comes from state leaders that make immigrants feel less welcome," he said. "The last three years I've felt less welcome in this country."

But Republicans say the legislation enacted by well-intended lawmakers has no relationship to a gunman shooting up an El Paso Walmart.

"That nexus is quite tenuous," said former state Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas. "I don't think it's fair to castigate Republicans that have had anti-Hispanic rhetoric as a cause of the shooting. I don't believe that it's a toxic milieu and a stew that's the cause of this tragedy. There's no connection between those things, and to suggest so is deeply offensive. Not only is it not fair, it's not appropriate."

Villalba, who is Hispanic and is considered a centrist Republican, lost a primary reelection bid in 2018 in part because of his opposition to Trump.

"I'm no fan of Trump, and I certainly recognize the demonization of Hispanics that has been occurring," he said.

U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess agreed that issues like a border wall or voting rights have no relevance to mass shootings.

"I don't see how being in favor of border security and a border wall leads to that," he said.

Texas and immigration

In 2012, Perry, who was running for president, was attacked for his stand that unauthorized immigrants in Texas should be educated in the same way as other Texans. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, then the former Massachusetts governor running for president, blasted Perry for supporting Texas' in-state tuition law.

"Have a heart," Perry said as part of his defense.

That Romney, a moderate Republican, was criticizing a Texas law signaled a major shift in Republican politics.

President George W. Bush had pushed for a comprehensive immigration overhaul that included a path to citizenship for the millions of people in the country without authorization. And Republicans, as well as business leaders, understood the role of immigrant labor to the Texas economy.

But Bush never got an immigration plan through Congress, nor did his successor, President Barack Obama.

Instead, the new Republican mantra involved securing the border before any talk of proposals like guest worker programs. With the emergence of Trump, base Republicans embraced building a wall along the southern border with Mexico, even as some of them knew the plan was not feasible.

In Texas, Trump's call for a border wall was followed by a controversial sanctuary cities law passed in 2017 that allowed local law enforcement officials to stop residents and inquire about their citizenship status. Democrats called it the "papers, please" law.

The law was so controversial that on the last day of the legislative session, former Republican state Rep. Matt Rinaldi of Irving told Democrats he called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a crowd of mostly Hispanic protesters in the House gallery. That sparked an ugly exchange and threats of violence from Rinaldi and Democrat Poncho Nevárez of Eagle Pass.

Democrats have also decried the state's voter ID law and the botched attempt by former secretary of state David Whitley to challenge the citizenship of thousands of Texas voters. Initially hailed by some Republicans, Whitley's effort proved a farce and led to his resignation.

To make matters even more tense, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said he would sign a bill that repeals the law allowing unauthorized immigrants to pay in-state tuition.

"For too long, politicians have been stoking the flames of hate with anti-Latino rhetoric and policies," said state Rep. Rafael Anchia of Dallas, chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus. "Trump did it at the very outset of his campaign and is making it the centerpiece of his reelection. Gov. Abbott has done it throughout his career as AG and governor. Their words embolden those who hate."

Through a spokesman, Abbott declined to address Anchia's comment. On Saturday in El Paso, he said it was too soon after the tragedy to talk about politics.

Numerous Texas Republicans contacted by The Dallas Morning News echoed Abbott and would not comment on charges that their policies are anti-Hispanic, saying there will be time for politics later.

Arlington Rep. and House Democratic Caucus chairman Chris Turner agreed that the sanctuary cities law and other legislation was "horrible policy" and "manufactured fear about immigration."

"It's a cumulative effect of all this stuff," Turner said of the political environment. "This constant demonization of people seems to be a common thread and must stop."

The criticism of Texas Republicans comes after former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso called Trump a racist.

"He is a racist and he stokes racism in this country," said O'Rourke, who put his presidential campaign on hold to return to El Paso. "It fundamentally changes the character of this country, and it leads to violence."

But U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, who made headlines for being O'Rourke's travel buddy on a road trip to Washington, backed away from that charge.

"Divisive rhetoric is not the way to go," he said, adding that Trump has "denounced these attacks."

"He has an opportunity to be the 'uniter in chief,' and I hope that's the way to go," Hurd added.

Gun control legislation

Democrats are also demanding that Republicans return to Washington and pass gun control legislation.

That's unlikely to happen.

Burgess, the Pilot Point Republican, said enforcing existing laws could help identify potential shooters. The lawmaker added that less than 1% of people who lie on background checks are prosecuted.

"If we enforce the laws that we already have, that will be a great first step before new laws are considered," Burgess said.

Hurd said he was one of a handful of Republicans to vote for recent legislation to expand background checks for gun purchases.

"It's pretty straightforward and simple," he said of the goal to prevent guns from getting into the "hands of people who shouldn't have them."

We have made progress: by improving the broken background check system, improving access to mental health treatment, by hardening soft targets like our schools, by enhanced training for law enforcement and mental health professionals. — Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) August 4, 2019

On Twitter, Sen. John Cornyn said progress to curb mass shootings has occurred, but more action was needed.

"We have made progress: by improving the broken background check system, improving access to mental health treatment, by hardening soft targets like our schools, by enhanced training for law enforcement and mental health professionals," he said. "But we need to keep trying. Focusing on law abiding citizens exercising their constitutional rights solves nothing. We need to treat these crimes as problems to be solved, rather than one to be exploited for partisan political gain."

But a statement from leaders of the Texas Democratic Party criticized Cornyn's stance.

"People are dead, because there is a severe lack of moral obligation in the Texas Capitol and Washington, D.C. to deliver real change," the statement read. "Enough is enough. We must act."