In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 4 into law Sunday, outlawing sanctuary cities and allowing police to check the immigration status of anyone they detain. Gov. Abbott signed the bill after delivering a short speech in a live video posted to Facebook.
Gov. Greg Abbott: “Texas has now banned sanctuary cities in the Lone Star State. … We are a nation of laws. And Texas is doing its part to keep it that way.”
Critics call SB 4 a “show me your papers” bill that will lead to widespread racial profiling while preventing undocumented immigrants from calling police or testifying in court. After Gov. Abbott signed the bill, scores of protesters descended on the Governor’s Mansion in Austin. This is 18-year-old activist Yuneun Alvarado.
Yuneun Alvarado: “My mom and I were both undocumented. And we’ve grown up in an abusive home, OK? We still live in an abusive home. And bills like this, bills like Senate Bill 4, will only make victims of domestic abuse fear for their lives even more, because they won’t—because they’ll be afraid that if they call the police for their safety, that they’ll be deported, and they could possibly die.”
SB 4 is set to take effect on September 1. Texas Democrats and civil liberties groups have promised legal challenges.