Austin, Texas. The governor has committed the ultimate sin from the perspective of liberal-democratic Obama oriented America, as he has now confronted mayors of cities offering sanctuary officially to illegal immigrants in his state.
The governor of Texas Greg Abbott has signed a bill banning “sanctuary cities” in his state, a move which looks guaranteed to set the stage for the first legal battle about the state being able to control and stop, local protection of persons illegally in the USA.
Donald Trump had campaigned on a platform to ban sanctuary cities, places where the local police will not ask about a person’s immigration status if they are stopped for a minor crime. He argued that the cities should have federal funding cut if they ignore federal law and came to power selling that idea to American voters.
But supporters of the policy which is implemented in cities such as Boston, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago argue that it means that illegal immigrants will be in jeopardy of deportation.
On Sunday evening Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, signed a bill designed to punish the cities for failing to ask about immigration papers. From September 1, even people stopped for traffic violations will be asked about their legal right to remain in the country. Police officers failing to ask could be fired, fined, and face up to a year in prison if convicted. Elected officials such as mayors could also face up to a year in jail, and lose their jobs, if convicted of official misconduct.
“As governor, my top priority is public safety, and this bill furthers that objective by keeping dangerous criminals off our streets,” said Mr Abbott.