Judge to hear lawsuit against SB4 on Monday
A federal court in San Antonio will hear arguments about the constitutionality of Texas’ controversial Senate Bill 4, otherwise known as the anti-sanctuary cities bill, on Monday.
According to the online news website The Guardian, Judge Orlando Garcia will decide whether to grant a preliminary injunction that would stop the law, known as SB4, from taking effect on September 1.
Among those fighting SB4 are Texas’ biggest cities, Latino organizations and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which successfully argued earlier this year that Donald Trump’s travel ban affecting some majority-Muslim nations was unconstitutional.
Houston’s city council just voted to join Austin, San Antonio and Dallas in its lawsuit last week.
According to the Texas Tribune, the council voted 10-6 to join the lawsuit, which was filed last month against Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
El Paso County has filed a separate lawsuit against the state of Texas.
A news release issued by the Border Network for Human Rights announced that members of its organization will participate in a protest against the bill Monday morning.
Dozens of individuals will present themselves to the police to be arrested.
The news release states that the group members will gather at Memorial Park in Central El Paso at 11:00 am and will walk to the El Paso Police Department Headquarters at 911 Raynor Street.
“Law enforcement in El Paso has long declared that they oppose this racist law, not only because of the burden that it imposes on already understaffed agencies, but because it makes everyone unsafe in the community,” the BNHR said in the release. “As SB 4’s September 1st implementation date approaches, communities look to our law-enforcement agencies to send a clear message once and for all, that El Paso will not comply with this racist law in any way, shape, or form.”
