Abbott tallies funding going to Travis County,

More of it could be targeted in faceoff over ‘sanctuary cities.’

Travis County last year received $125 million in money that flowed through the state, the governor’s office said Friday, a tally officials compiled amid the ongoing “sanctuary cities” debate and Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to pull some state funding from the county.

It is not yet clear how much Travis County could lose if it doesn’t comply with a proposed new state law requiring counties to fully cooperate with federal immigration officials, which would impose financial penalties for not honoring requests to hold inmates on behalf of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

State officials last month asked all state agencies to report to Abbott’s office how much money they award to Travis County.

The move came after Abbott pulled about $1.5 million from the county after Sheriff Sally Hernandez adopted a new policy in which she said she would only cooperate with ICE if inmates have been charged with one of four crimes, including capital murder.

Abbott at the time was threatening to possibly pull additional funds, but hasn’t yet done so.

The battle started after Hernandez said, soon after taking office, that she would only hold inmates on behalf of federal immigration officials if they are charged with capital murder, murder, aggravated sexual assault and human smuggling, or if immigration officials have a judicial warrant or court order.

Otherwise, those suspects would be allowed to post bond and be released — no matter their

immigration status.

Abbott has said such policies allow potentially dangerous criminals to return to the street and that he would work to help adopt new laws that would remove sheriffs who don’t honor requests from immigration agents.

The money the county has already lost in state grants is for programs such as a veterans court, for a special program to combat prostitution and for services to crime victims.

Meanwhile, the state Senate has approved a bill by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, that aims to ban “sanctuary cities” by making it a crime for sheriffs to adopt policies like Hernandez’s.

The bill also allows victims of crimes committed by unauthorized immigrants in sanctuary cities or counties to sue the jurisdiction, among other provisions.

Hernandez has said she will comply with any law that would require her to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.