Did Texas authorities arrest people who violated the governor’s COVID-19 restrictions on business openings?
A few Texans were arrested in the spring of 2020 for violating state-issued COVID-19 safety orders limiting “non-essential” business operations.
Two Laredo women were arrested and detained for several hours in April after being reported to local authorities for operating a home beauty salon. A month later, a Dallas woman was jailed for two days for keeping a hair salon open in violation of the orders. She told the county judge that she needed to continue working in order to feed her children. In response to public outcries, Gov. Abbott modified his orders on May 7 to eliminate confinement as a punishment for violating the rules. “Throwing Texans in jail who have had their businesses shut down through no fault of their own is nonsensical, and I will not allow it to happen,” Abbott said.
