Sanctuary City Bill

The mayor of a Texas border town says he voted for President Donald Trump and is against sanctuary city policies, but he is not for a border wall.

Texas State Representative Matt Rinaldi (R-Irving) claimed to have been threatened by a fellow lawmaker and assaulted by another during a Memorial Day closing session. Others claim it was Rinaldi that made death threats against Democrat legislators.

Travis County Sheriff “Sanctuary Sally” Hernandez joined with four other Texas sheriffs to declare that “FBI crime statistics have found that labeled ‘sanctuary’ cities experience lower rates of all crime types, including homicides.” Fact checkers at PolitiFact, a left-of-center watchdog, said no such FBI report exists, but labeled their statements “Half-True.”

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) took little time in filing the first lawsuit to try to stop the Lone Star State’s recently signed anti-sanctuary jurisdiction bill. LULAC sued the State of Texas, its governor, and the state’s attorney general.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said law enforcement and other officials implementing sanctuary policies that release criminal aliens with immigration detainers will now be subject to the “stiffest penalties in America.” He also rebutted the hype and fear mongering being spread by some legislators, liberal chiefs of police, sheriffs, and media outlets.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the State’s sanctuary city bill into law Sunday night during a Facebook Live event from his office. The new law is now the toughest anti-sanctuary city law in the United States and provides for criminal and civil penalties for police chiefs and sheriffs that refuse to honor immigration detainers.

The Texas Legislature passed the toughest anti-sanctuary city bill in the nation Wednesday evening. The bill creates a criminal penalty for sheriffs and police chiefs that refuse to honor ICE detainers. The Senate passed the bill on a 20-11 party-line vote.

The police chiefs in six of Texas’ largest cities responded to the anti-sanctuary city bill passed by the Texas House on Thursday by signing a letter of opposition and releasing it to the press on Friday. The chiefs said the issue is one for the federal government and representatives are “pandering.”

The Texas Legislature is on the final step to passing a bill that will penalize jurisdictions, including college campus police departments, which have sanctuary policies protecting illegal immigrants. The bill puts sharp teeth in the battle to stop such policies.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted a message pushing the state’s House of Representatives to pass the anti-sanctuary city bill and get it to his desk for signature.

Oakland, one of California’s many sanctuary cities, set up a $300,000 anti-deportation fund on Tuesday in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order last week that aims to cut off federal funds to “jurisdictions that willfully refuse to comply” with federal immigration enforcement.

The Speaker of the Texas House is joining with Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick in calling for an end to Sanctuary Cities in the Lone Star State.

“Speaker Straus will work with fellow House Members, Governor Abbott and law enforcement to ensure that there are no sanctuary cities in Texas,” said Jason Embry, communications director for Speaker Straus, in an email to Breitbart Texas.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott was interviewed by Sean Hannity and the nationally syndicated radio talk show host told Abbott – “Good job in Texas, I’ll tell you that!” Hannity commended Abbott for his tough stance on sanctuary cities, his lawsuit against the Obama administration’s amnesty program, and putting a halt to Obama’s amnesty during his tenure as President. The talk show host also asked the Texas Governor who he was supporting as President.

The U.S. Senate failed to come up with the required 60 votes needed to move forward with the Sanctuary City Bill.