Sanctuary city is a term that is applied by some to cities in the United States or Canada that have policies designed to not prosecute illegal aliens. These practices can be by law (de jure) or they can be by habit (de facto). The term generally applies to cities that do not allow municipal funds or resources to be used to enforce federal immigration laws, usually by not allowing police or municipal employees to inquire about an individual's immigration status. The designation has no legal meaning.
According to this list, Texas has three such cities (Dallas, Austin, and Houston). The criteria are loose, so other cities - notably San Antonio - also tend to make the list.
The Dallas Morning News reports that the governor is trying to pressure the Dallas County sheriff to reverse their policy and is promising to pursue legislation regarding the issue on 2017:
Gov. Greg Abbott, targeting “sanctuary city” policies on immigration, warned Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez on Monday to back down from a policy change on federal immigration detention requests.
“Your refusal to fully participate in a federal law enforcement program intended to keep dangerous criminals off the streets leaves the State no choice but to take whatever actions are necessary to protect our fellow Texans,” Abbott wrote.
His spokesman, Jon Wittman, confirmed later Monday that the governor was throwing his support behind legislation to bar “sanctuary city” policies, under which police are barred from asking those they stop about their immigration status. Abbott wants the Legislature to address the matter in 2017, Wittman said.
A Valdez spokesman defended the policy as a modest change, and allies said the governor was distorting what she had done.
For more:
- Abbott says election key to sanctuary-city ban.
Gov. Greg Abbott said voters should elect state lawmakers who will approve a ban on so-called sanctuary cities in 2017, suggesting Wednesday it would be fruitless to summon back the current Legislature for a special session on the issue. His declaration came as the San Antonio Police Department said it would put into writing its policy against officers asking for the immigration status of people who are detained — a move that’s anathema to sanctuary-city opponents.
- Dan Patrick ups ante in sanctuary city debate.
On Monday, Abbott's admonished Sheriff Lupe Valdez over her recent decision to not automatically detain all undocumented immigrants, saying so-called sanctuary cities will "no longer be tolerated in Texas." Patrick's supporters quickly noted that Abbott stood quietly by and did not lobby last spring for passage of a bill to prohibit sanctuary cities, even when it was just two votes short in Patrick's Senate. Abbott was also unwilling to call a special session when lawmakers left Austin in June without passing a sanctuary cities bill. As a state senator, Patrick authored legislation to end sanctuary cities and said in August he thinks he now has the votes in the Senate to pass the measure.
