El Paso delegation heads to Austin to denounce so-called “sanctuary cities” bill
Three well-known El Pasoans made the trip to the Texas state Capitol in Austin Thursday to voice their concerns on Senate Bill 4- a bill targeting so-called “sanctuary cities.” Hundreds attended the Republican-controlled state Senate’s first hearing on the issue.
El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar, county commissioner David Stout and immigration attorney Carlos Spector all spoke against the proposed legislation. They all agree the bill would create fear in the borderland and strip power from local voters.
Texas Republicans eager to reinforce President Donald Trump’s call for a crackdown on illegal immigration pushed to deny state money for local jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate, an issue Gov. Greg Abbott has declared to be an “emergency” facing the state.
Two weeks ago state Sen. Jose Rodriguez told the Texas Tribune he could support the detainer component of the current proposals, especially if it means it will keep more extreme measures at bay.
But at the Senate hearing today Rodriguez was not in favor of the bill. At one point he questioned Spector.
“In practical terms for the work that you do, what would this bill do to your clients,” Rodriguez asked.
Spector replied “It creates, it makes law enforcement in Texas immigration agents. All they have to do is get on the phone, and say Bob this is Floyd, I got three Mexicans in a car. Can I stop them? That’s the request. He says can you request it. ha ha. Yeah, go ahead and stop them.”
The term “sanctuary cities” has no legal definition. The bill by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, would punish local governments if police don’t comply with requests from federal immigration enforcement officers to hand over immigrants already in custody for possible deportation.
“You don’t get to decide which laws you like, which laws you will honor,” A.J. Louderback, sheriff of Jackson County and president of the Sheriff’s Association of Texas told the Senate State Affairs committee considering the bill Thursday. “You don’t get extra constitutional powers.”
Gov. Abbott wants to deny taxpayer money to cities that don’t detain immigrants and remove locally elected officials if they don’t comply.
“They are definitely trying to bully local officials and local law enforcement into doing what they want us to do,” Stout said.
Escobar told a senate committee SB4 would increase local property taxes.
She said in part, “When counties and cities get sued for racial profiling, which is sure to happen when you force local law enforcement (good people who have not received the same training as border patrol officers) to become de facto immigration agents, who pays that bill for those settlements and/or judgments? Local property taxpayers have to pick up the tab as well.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says he expects the Senate to pass the bill as early as next week and send it to the House.
