San Antonio could join sanctuary city lawsuit

San Antonio may soon join the list of Texas cities that are suing the state over the newly-signed sanctuary city law, 1200 WOAI news reports.

In a closed-door meeting with city attorneys, this week, city council members will debate whether to take legal action against the legislation, which allows police officers to ask someone for their immigration status.  A suit has the backing of Councilman Rey Saldana, who feels there are questions about the constitutionality.

"What is at risk is that we are violating the constitutional rights of people living in this community that may be profiled," he tells Newsradio 1200 WOAI.

The law has long been opposed by San Antonio's police chief, who testified before the state legislature on several occasions.  Mayor Ivy Taylor also tells Newsradio 1200 WOAI this week that the debate over a lawsuit is important.

"We want to ensure that our law enforcement has the tools and latitude to keep citizens safe," she says.

But the constitutionality of the so-called sanctuary city law could have an uphill climb.  While there has been frequent comparison to Arizona's controversial "show me your papers" law, which was shot down by the courts, there is an important distinction.  That state's SB 1070 required police officers to ask about immigration status.  Texas's law only outlaws police departments from having policies against asking the question.  

The lawsuit started with the tiny border town of El Cenizo. El Paso County has joined, and so has Austin.  Dallas will also decide this week if they plan to sue. Houston will wait until after the legislative session.


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