A Texas State Senate Committee today, on a party line vote, agreed to advance that bill outlawing 'Sanctuary Cities' to the full Senate, where it is expected to pass easily, News Radio 1200 WOAI news reports.
The vote in the Senate State Affairs Committe was 7-2.The vote came after an amazing 16 hours of sometimes passionate debate over two days.
Many police agencies, including San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, testified against the bill, saying they don't have the resources, manpower, or training to enforce federal immigration laws, while at the same time enforcing the state's criminal code.
The bill would strip state funding from cities and counties which don't enforce federal immigration laws, and which turn aside requests by immigration officials to detain illegal immigrants. The law also allows the state and private citizens to sue individual city and county officials and office holders if an illegal immigrant who they released due to their actions in violation of Sanctuary City laws.
Opponents point out that there are no state or federal laws which require, for example, that county jail personnel hold inmates for immigration authorities, and compare requiring local officials to enforce federal immigration law with demanding that police officers who pull motorists over for speeding also demand proof that they have paid their federal income taxes.
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