San Antonio's lawsuit against Texas over the newly-signed sanctuary city law is growing, now that the Mexican Government has joined, arguing that immigration should be handled by the federal government, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
"If every state does their own thing on immigration, each state potentially have the ability to inflame foreign relations in a way that the federal government cannot fix," attorney Leon Fresco tells Newsradio 1200 WOAI.
The Texas legislature passed SB4 in the last session. It allows cops to ask a person their immigration status. Fresco says that interferes with a whole range of bilateral matters, from trade to security.
"The campus police inscription into immigration enforcement crates a lot of problems with foreign students who are there from Mexico," he explains.
The law also cracks down on Texas sheriffs who refuse to comply with federal detainer requests at county jails. That has the full support of the White House. In a visit to Austin last week, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says allowing illegal immigrants to walk out of jail puts the public at risk.
"If these cities want to receive law enforcement grants, then they should stop impeding federal law enforcement," he said.
Earlier this year, a federal judge in San Antonio put the brakes on the state law. Texas appealed and, in September, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the state to implement part of the law while awaiting a full hearing in November.
In the newly-filed brief, Fresco argues that SB-4 has already harmed the relationship between Mexico and the United States.
Mexican consulate officials in Texas have been flooded with calls from scared Mexican nationals.
“Given the importance of the international relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, it is essential that Mexico be able to approach its discussions with one consistent negotiating partner rather than having to enter into 50 different negotiations with each state regarding the type and extent of immigration enforcement that will occur in that state."