The Mexican government entered the court battle over Texas’ new sanctuary city ban by filing an “affidavit of concern.”
The Mexican government contends:
Laws such as SB4 further criminalize migration; open the door to possible acts of racial discrimination; erode the collaboration of the migrant community with local authorities; and create a climate of persecution.
The move follows an action by the Trump Administration which recently filed a “Statement of Interest” in the case and is going to enter the battle supporting Texas’ sanctuary city ban, Breitbart Texas reported.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, Democrats, open border advocates, and officials in politically blue Democrat cities within Texas filed suit to block Senate Bill 4 (SB 4) from becoming law on September 1. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) filed the first suit just days after the bill was signed by the governor.
On Monday, a federal district court in San Antonio conducted an all-day hearing. The judge has not ruled on the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the toughest sanctuary city bill in the United States into law on May 7. Breitbart Texas reported in an exclusive interview with the governor after the signing that law enforcement and other officials who implement sanctuary policies and release criminal aliens with detainers will now be subject to the “stiffest penalties in America.” Opponents are claiming that it is an unconstitutional “show me your papers” law but the Texas governor is confident that based on Supreme Court precedent and even liberal members of the nation’s highest court, the provisions of SB 4 will be upheld.
“Until recently, Texas law enforcement has been honoring immigration detainers for years, and this law reinforces those efforts to keep dangerous criminals off the streets. This law helps secure the safety of all Texans–including the millions of Mexican nationals living in Texas,” John Wittman, a spokesman for the governor’s office told Breitbart Texas Tuesday.
Mexican officials contend they are concerned about “the possible negative consequences of SB4 on the Mexican community and on those of Mexican origin, who represent one-third of Texas’s total population.”
The affidavit submits data “on the effect that passage of SB4 and the expectation of its entry into force has already had on the Mexican community, based on statistics that show an increase in consular services.”
Officials in Mexico also contend that the number of calls made by Mexicans in Texas during May and June to the Center for Information and Assistance for Mexicans (CIAM) increased by 678 percent over the same period as last year. They reported an alleged 32.4 percent increase in the number of documents issued to Mexican nationals. Moreover, there was a 45 percent increase from January to May 2017 in the number of civil cases receiving consular protection services in the eleven Mexican consulates in Texas. There was a 60 percent jump in Mexican citizens asking Mexican consulates in Texas for legal advice in the six weeks after SB 4 was passed. Officials state there has also been a 27 percent increase in those asking how to become a naturalized citizen.
The statement from the Mexican Secretary of External Relationships says, “These statistics reflect the uncertain situation faced by our community in Texas as a result of this law and the anxiety surrounding its entry into force.”
Mexico warns:
The Mexican government will follow the legal case against SB4 on an ongoing basis and will take all legal actions at its disposal to continue protecting the Mexican citizens who live in and visit Texas.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.
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