Court backs Texas sanctuary city policy

Washington Times:
States have the power to punish sanctuary cities within their borders and to force local police and sheriff’s departments to cooperate in turning illegal immigrants over to the federal government for deportation, an appeals court ruled Tuesday in upholding a Texas law.

The 3-0 decision by a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marks a major victory for President Trump, who has demanded sanctuary cities be punished for thwarting the federal government and protecting illegal immigrants.

The judges didn’t go that far, but they did say the federal government’s “detainer” requests, which ask local governments to hold illegal immigrants for pickup, are legal. Localities can refuse based on their own resources, the court ruled — but the detainer requests are legal, the judges said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott praised the ruling.

“Law is in effect,” he said on Twitter.

Known as SB4, the law Mr. Abbott signed last year requires police to determine the legal status of those they encounter during their duties.

The law also punished local elected officials, police chiefs and other law enforcement leaders who enacted or carried out sanctuary policies that refused cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The law explicitly said local jurisdictions should comply with detainer requests.
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The court also found that ICE detainers are legitimate.  This would be a serious blow to the sanctuary city policies in other states.

This is good news for law enforcement in Texas and for the Trump administration in its attempt to push back against jurisdictions like California who insist on an open borders approach to immigration.

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