Texas poised to pass ‘sanctuary city’ ban with jail penalty
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Republicans were poised Wednesday to take a big step toward banning “sanctuary cities” in their state, debating a bill through which police chiefs and sheriffs could even be jailed for not cooperating fully with federal immigration authorities.
Although Democrats don’t have the votes in the Republican-controlled Legislature to stop the bill from going to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who made such a ban a priority, they vowed to fight it at every step, promising hours of emotionally charged debate on Wednesday before the Texas House votes.
Under the bill, the state could withhold funding from local governments for acting as sanctuary cities, even as the Trump administration’s efforts to do so nationally have hit roadblocks. Other Republican-controlled states have pushed for similar polices in recent years, just as more liberal ones have done the opposite. But Texas would be the first in which police chiefs and sheriffs could be jailed for not helping enforce immigration law. They could also lose their jobs.
The bill is needed to “keep the public safe and remove bad people from the street,” said Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth.
“The bill does not target or discriminate against illegal immigrants. This bill specifically targets criminals who happen to be here illegally,” Geren said.
The term “sanctuary cities” has no legal definition, but Republicans want local police to help federal authorities as part of a larger effort to crack down on criminal suspects who are in the U.S. illegally. The Texas House bill would allow local law enforcement officers to inquire about federal immigration status if someone is arrested. A version passed by the state Senate in March would allow immigration inquires of anyone who is detained, including during traffic stops.
President Donald Trump is trying to withhold federal funding for sanctuary cities, but on Tuesday, a federal judge in California issued a preliminary injunction preventing him from doing so.
Texas doesn’t currently have any sanctuary cities, but that hasn’t stopped Abbott and Republican legislative leaders from pushing aggressively for one.
Sally Hernandez, the sheriff of Travis County, which includes liberal Austin, enraged conservatives by refusing to honor federal requests to hold suspects for possible deportation if the suspects weren’t arrested for immigration offenses or serious crimes such as murder. But Hernandez softened her policy after Abbott cut funding to the county, saying decisions would be made on a case-by-case basis, and she’s said she will conform to the state’s ban if it becomes law.