Texas Is Getting a New ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Law, and the Mexican Government Isn’t Happy Alex Horton and Joshua Partlow - WAPO
go to original July 6, 2017

Protesters takes part in a rally to oppose a new Texas “sanctuary cities” bill that aligns with the president's tougher stance on illegal immigration in San Antonio, Texas, outside of the Federal Courthouse. (AP/Eric Gay)

A new Texas law has pushed the fight over sanctuary cities to spill over the border, as Mexican officials grow increasingly concerned about Mexican nationals being caught in an expanding immigration dragnet while American authorities worry the measure might derail economic activity.

Senate Bill 4, signed on May 7, gives greater freedom to local Texas police to ask people who have been detained about their immigration status, and mandates cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Officials who don’t comply could be fined or even jailed.

The bill has become a national flash point in an already hyperpartisan debate over the rights of immigrants and the government's ability to press them on their legal status. Advocates of the law point to measures meant to increase safety, while critics worry about eroding protections and triggering negative diplomatic and economic consequences.

In late June, the Mexican government filed a sworn statement with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, in San Antonio, to argue why the law should not go into effect. The 11 Mexican consulates in Texas met and shared information about how Mexican immigrants were reacting to the law, which showed broad levels of fear and anxiety.

... While President Enrique Peña Nieto has refrained from directly attacking Trump, his administration has vowed to defend the rights of Mexicans living in the United States. The foreign ministry has committed an additional $15 million to the network of consulates in the U.S. so they can boost outreach to Mexicans and inform them of their rights of immigrants in response to the Texas legislation.

Read the rest at The Washington Post

Related: After SB 4, Mexican Consulate Hotline Sees Nearly 700 Percent Increase in Texas Calls (Texas Observer)

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