“There is overwhelming evidence by local officials, including local law enforcement, that SB 4 will erode public trust and make many communities and neighborhoods less safe,” Garcia wrote in his order. “Senate Bill 4 was passed by the Texas Legislature to set a statewide policy of cooperation with federal immigration authorities enforcing our nation’s immigration laws,” Paxton said. The law forbids localities’ so-called sanctuary policies that attempt to shield undocumented immigrants from deportation by limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The lawsuit against the Texas GOP’s immigration crackdown also contends that SB 4 violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, and forces local authorities to do a job reserved exclusively for the federal government. States cannot establish their own immigration policies, and no federal law imposes criminal penalties for disregarding voluntary requests from ICE to keep people detained.

Source: Huffington Post August 31, 2017 00:46 UTC