AUSTIN, TEXAS -- Governor Greg Abbott took to Facebook Live to broadcast and discuss his signing a law that is effectively a Sanctuary Cities ban, also known as a ‘Show Me Your Papers’ law.
According to the Texas Tribune, the law makes sheriffs, constables and police chiefs that do not comply with federal requests from immigration agents to hold noncitizen subject to a Class A misdemeanor.
Civil penalties for entities in violation start at $1,000 for a first offense and go up to $25,500 for each subsequent offense.
Texas democrats tried to exempt domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, pre-kindergarten schools and public school events such as football games from the status inquiries requirement. All related amendments failed except an amendment by Dallas representative Victoria Neave allowing local entities to prohibit employees and officers from assisting federal immigration officers at places of worship. Officers employed by Texas religious organizations are already excluded from the requirement.
Clint representative Mary González urged the Texas House of Representatives to keep the language about status inquiries limited to only people under arrest, saying that immigrants would fear reaching out to police if they were victims of a crime, like sexual assault.
Houston representative Ana Hernandez said she was once undocumented after her visa expired when she was a child.
The bill known as SB 4 passed the Texas Senate in February, and after 16 hours of debate, the House version passed by a 93-54 vote. The law goes into effect in September.
Texas does not have any official ‘sanctuary cities.’ That includes the city of Austin and Travis County, according to Austin Mayor Steve Adler. The county was made an example of previously when Abbott blocked $1.5 million in state grants due to noncompliance with federal immigration hold requests tracked by Department of Homeland Security.
Watch Governor Abbott and hear what he has to say about the law:
