The Texas Legislature passed a bill on Wednesday, which enables police officers to inquire about the immigration status of individuals. It threatens police chiefs and sheriffs with imprisonment for refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Republican Governor, Greg Abbott, has promised to sign the bill, which could soon pass into law.
The Senate, which is led by the Republican Party, passed the bill despite criticism from the Democrats, who claim that the bill will be used to discriminate against the Latino community. Republicans want to see local police assisting federal immigration agents to crack down on criminals who are also undocumented immigrants. The bill will enable the state to block funding to local governments acting as sanctuary cities.
Within the Legislature, the Republican Party has a very strong majority, and Democrat complaints about the bill were ignored, as federal courts have held up many of President Donald Trump’s attempts to do the same with federal funding for sanctuary cities. The new bill gives police the right to question the legal status of any person they detain, either dangerous criminals or someone pulled over for minor traffic violations. Local officers will also be expected to cooperate with requests from federal authorities to hold criminal immigrants for deportation.
Lubbock Republican Senator, Charles Perry, who sponsored the bill, says it is about the rule of law and stopping undocumented criminals from being released back into communities. He dismissed criticism of harassment and racial profiling as ‘fear-mongering’.