Good morning Mr. Chairman and members, my name is Jeffery Patterson and I am the executive director of the Texas Catholic Conference. The TCC is the statewide association of the 15 Roman Catholic dioceses in our state and it is our responsibility to advocate for the public policy positions of the active Bishops of Texas. Thank you for the opportunity to share our opposition to the language in HB 9 and other Sanctuary Cities bills.

For many of the same reasons you have heard through witness testimony today, the Catholic Bishops of Texas oppose this “Sanctuaries Cities” legislation and are concerned about its effects on the safety, dignity, and the civic trust of ethnic communities in this state.

The Bishops recognize the flaws of our nation’s immigration system, and have consistently called for fair and compassionate reform that secures borders and respects individual rights and dignity.  At the same time, the Bishops have opposed policies that may provoke discrimination and erode the civic trust in communities.

These proposals threaten to undermine the civic relationship between the local police and the communities they serve.  Law enforcement agencies have worked tirelessly to build relationships with law-abiding citizens in immigrant communities.  These Community Policing efforts have made great strides in apprehending criminals and preventing crimes in those communities.  Instituting Sanctuaries Cities legislation would undermine those efforts and risk increasing crime and suffering in immigrant neighborhoods. Crime victims or witnesses are unlikely to report or assist in solving a crime if they fear their own circumstances will be scrutinized or jeopardized by cooperating with law enforcement.  Provisions to prohibit detention of individuals solely for immigration enforcement will not prevent racial profiling and the inadvertent targeting of citizens and legal permanent residents based on their ethnicity.

Even more, it is not within the jurisdiction of local law enforcement agencies--nor are local officers appropriately trained--to enforce complex federal immigration law.  Enforcement of immigration law is the responsibility of the federal government; local police focus primarily on enforcing against criminal activity and promoting public safety.  Legislation which tasks local police with investigating and arresting immigrants solely for their undocumented status risks overburdening an already stretched system and diverts time and resources away from their primary responsibility of protecting communities and of investigating and pursuing serious criminals.