Texas Becomes First State to Outlaw Sanctuary Cities By Debra Heine (The Lone Star State)
https://pjmedia.com/trending/2017/05/08/texas-becomes-first-state-to-outlaw-sanctuary-cities/
Delivering on a long-held objective, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday signed a bill that effectively bans sanctuary cities, counties, and universities in the state of Texas. The law, which opponents plan to challenge in the courts, allows police to inquire about the immigration status of persons they detain and requires officials to comply with federal requests to hold criminal suspects for possible deportation.
The Texas law, which will go into effect Sept. 1, will create a criminal charge for law enforcement officials who violate federal immigration laws. Defiant elected or appointed officials could be removed from office and local jurisdictions will be charged up to $25,000 for each day they are in violation. It is the first law of its kind in the nation.
Via the Dallas Morning News:
“Texans expect us to keep them safe, and that is exactly what we are going to do by me signing this law,” Abbott said before inking his signature during a Facebook Live video Sunday night — the first time a Texas governor has signed a bill through an Internet live stream.
Abbott, who designated the ban as an emergency item in January, signed the bill just four days after both chambers of the Legislature gave it final approval. Its passage is a major victory for Abbott and Republicans who advocate for stricter enforcement of immigration law. The Legislature has tried to pass a ban every session since 2011.
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