The Texas Legislature passed the toughest anti-sanctuary city bill in the nation Wednesday evening. The bill creates a criminal penalty for sheriffs and police chiefs that refuse to honor ICE detainers. The Senate passed the bill on a 20-11 party-line vote.
A Texas State Representative is accusing the Texas Police Chiefs Association of using “racial coding” when opposing his bill that would allow law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun like they can currently carry a rifle or shotgun.
The police chiefs in six of Texas’ largest cities responded to the anti-sanctuary city bill passed by the Texas House on Thursday by signing a letter of opposition and releasing it to the press on Friday. The chiefs said the issue is one for the federal government and representatives are “pandering.”
The Texas Legislature is on the final step to passing a bill that will penalize jurisdictions, including college campus police departments, which have sanctuary policies protecting illegal immigrants. The bill puts sharp teeth in the battle to stop such policies.
The Texas House passed a tough anti-sanctuary bill containing provisions making it a crime for sheriffs and chiefs of police to refuse to cooperate with immigration officials. They could also be removed from office for providing “sanctuary” for the criminal illegal aliens in their jails.
The Texas House moved forward on a weakened version of the Senate’s anti-sanctuary city bill following a 16-hour debate that ended at 3 a.m. Thursday. Democrats offered nearly 200 amendments to the bill in an effort to delay its passage.
A new feature of the Trump Administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency is a weekly Declined Detainer Outcome Report. The first edition reveals 206 criminal aliens released from jails in sanctuary jurisdictions. Texas takes the number one slot with more than 70 percent of cases.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted a message pushing the state’s House of Representatives to pass the anti-sanctuary city bill and get it to his desk for signature.
Texas’ capital county faces the loss of millions of dollars in state funding as a result of the Travis County sheriff’s sanctuary policies when a new bill that outlaws the same passes the legislature. Texas Governor Greg Abbott made abolishing sanctuary jurisdictions in Texas an emergency item for this year’s legislative session.
The bill passed by the Texas Senate this week calls for the creation of criminal penalties for state, county, or local officials who chose to ignore federal immigration law. The bill also creates a provision whereby the official could be removed from office if they fail to enforce the law.
Despite the loss of state law enforcement grants, Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez followed through and released 39 criminal aliens during the first two days of her sanctuary policy.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared ending sanctuary cities to be an emergency item for the 85th session of the Texas Legislature.
