Texas Scores Court Victory Against Sanctuary Cities



An appellate court dealt a blow to sanctuary cities in Texas, putting the state’s Senate Bill 4 into effect immediately.

The unanimous order by a three-judge panel overruled U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia’s decision blocking the law.

“We find irreparable injury to Texas … denying the public interest in the enforcement of its laws,” the Fifth Circuit judges said of Garcia’s injunction.

At the urging of several self-declared sanctuary cities and illegal-immigrant advocates, Garcia granted an injunction against SB4, which requires local law enforcement agencies to “comply with, honor, and fulfill” immigration detainers requested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The appellate panel overruled the San Antonio judge, adding the proviso that local and state agencies need not comply when a detainee provides proof of lawful immigration status.

“The ‘comply with, honor, and fulfill’ provision mandates that local agencies cooperate according to existing ICE detainer practice and law,” the Fifth Circuit judges stated.

FAIR said Texas was right to fight for SB4, considered the most sweeping anti-sanctuary measure in the country. The law imposes civil penalties on local officials who fail to comply.

While sanctuary proponents continue to contest SB4 in the courts, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said, “Enforcing immigration law helps prevent dangerous criminals from being released into our communities. I am confident Senate Bill 4 will be found constitutional and ultimately upheld.”

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Content written by Federation for American Immigration Reform staff.

4 Comments

  1. avatar
    gerard christopher on

    i been live accoss of pacitic st and this not my neighorhood but it control by my neighorhood doing this **** for year i now immigration in 1990 and i got back to my neighorhood and it control my people who they want new in my neighorhood and this been going on for 16 year so the close imlive at 1426 pacitic st brroklyn i live on franklin ave in 19973 went to school they and they runthe shelter and everywere make sure i dont get apt in my neighorhood i dont want to used they neigborhood thank you

  2. avatar

    good decision this so call judge must be a friend off fake president barry always breaking the laws of the usa