Sanctuary Cities Ban

Judge Temporarily Blocks Texas’ Sanctuary Cities Ban

SB 4 would have gone into effect on Friday.

NOAH LANARD

On Wednesday, a district court judge blocked most of a controversial Texas law that bans sanctuary cities. The law, Senate Bill 4, also known as the “show me your papers law” to critics, was set to go into effect on Friday.

SB 4, which was signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in May, effectively prohibits the existence of sanctuary cities by forcing local police to cooperate with federal immigration officials. SB 4 would also allow local officials to be fined up to $25,500 per day and face jail time if they refused to enforce the law.

A section of the law that gives police the authority to ask people about their immigration status will still be allowed to go into effect, according to the ruling. Civil liberties groups have warned that the provision will lead to undocumented immigrants being detained as part of routine traffic stops.

Orlando Garcia, a federal judge in the Western District of Texas, wrote in his decision that 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. There is also ample evidence that localities will suffer adverse economic consequences which, in turn, harm the State of Texas.” Garcia also wrote that while the state legislature can ignore the “knowledge and experience” of local officials, it cannot “exercise its authority in a manner that violates the United States Constitution.”

The injunction is only temporary and prevents the law from going into effect on September 1 while a lawsuit from various local governments and organizations moves forward against it.