Texas passes bill attacking sanctuary cities, allowing police to demand immigration status
On Wednesday evening, the Texas Senate gave final approval for Senate Bill 4, legislation aimed at so-called sanctuary cities, sending the controversial bill to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who said Wednesday night he's "getting my signing pen warmed up." It was a 21-10 party-line vote.
SB 4 would levy steep fines on local governments and public universities that restrict local law enforcement agencies from honoring federal immigration-status "detainer" requests for people in custody, create criminal charges for local law enforcement chiefs who don't comply with detainer requests, and allow Abbott to remove locally elected and appointed officials who violate the ban. In an amendment added by the House, the bill would also allow law enforcement officers to ask about the immigration status of anybody they detain.
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Democrats said they would challenge the law in court. Houston Democrat Sen. Sylvia Garcia (D) said the immigration requests in particular would allow police to stop people for simply "walking while brown." "It doesn't matter how much the supporters of this bill promise that this will not happen," she said. "It will happen, and in some parts of my home district it already is happening."
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