Fr. Stephen Jasso of the Diocese of Fort Worth thanks advocates for their efforts in defeating Sanctuary cities legislation

The Texas Senate and House have adjourned the special session, and we at the Texas Catholic Conference celebrated with several partners on the failure of SB 9, the “Sanctuary cities” bill, to pass during the special session.

The Sanctuary Cities legislation would require local law enforcement and other city employees to verify immigration status for anyone they suspect may be undocumented. This is bad policy because it would be difficult for local law enforcement to enforce complex federal immigration law, and too costly for state and local law enforcement to receive the extensive training that federal immigration agents undergo. Local law enforcement investigates and prosecutes local criminal activity; adding immigration enforcement to their duties would divert resources away from their responsibilities fighting crime.

Furthermore, the legislation threatens public safety by undermining the relationship between the local police and the communities they serve. If a victim or a witness to a crime is afraid that his or her status will be determined by law enforcement, he or she may choose not to report criminal activity in the community. You can read more about the legislation in our testimony on this issue here and our policy paper here.

Governor Perry declared Sanctuary Cities legislation as an emergency item during the regular and special sessions of the 82^nd Texas legislature. Hundreds of advocates came to the Capitol during the 30-day special session to ask lawmakers to reject this legislation, including local law enforcement, business owners, workers, students, families and human rights advocates, and faith leaders.

Fr. Stephen Jasso, TOR, the pastor of All Saints Church on Fort Worth's North Side in the Diocese of Fort Worth, was one of those advocates. Fr. Jasso testified during the regular session as well, and participated in a celebratory press conference on June 29, after the legislature adjourned sine die.

“The Voice of the people was heard,” said Fr. Jasso. “We can thank God and the leadership of the groups that advocated with us. Together we can make a difference. Texas can become greater because we are united.”

Fr. Jasso also spoke of the sacrifices that advocates made to attend the hearings, stating that several people arrived early in the morning and stayed until after midnight on the following day to testify. “When I heard about this group I asked Bishop Vann if I could participate. He said that I should do whatever I can to help accomplish this mission.”

Austin police Chief Art Acevedo was also present at the press conference and emphasized the importance of police departments to set their priorities. “From a public safety standpoint, and a common sense standpoint, I’m proud to say Texas said ‘no’ to a bandaid approach to immigration,” said Acevedo. “If this is about public safety, we have it covered. Secure Communities is implemented in every county... True criminals should be in the front of the [deportation] line without Texas taxpayers footing the bill. The call to action is to put the pressure on Washington to fix the immigration problem.”

While the Sanctuary Cities legislation ultimately failed, TCC was disappointed to see that a provision to SB 1, a fiscal matters bill that must pass into law for the budget to balance, requires that applicants or those wishing to renew a driver’s license will have to show proof of citizenship or legal immigration status (see our policy paper on this issue here). TCC opposed this legislation because it will decrease public safety as a larger number of individuals can be expected to be driving without a license, safety training, or insurance.  In addition, law enforcement will not have access to the identification documents of those who choose not to obtain a license, which will make it more difficult for them to protect the public.

The Texas Catholic Conference will continue to advocate on behalf of the life and dignity of all Texans – including immigrants – and the common good of our state. During the interim we will continue to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform, the DREAM act, and other federal legislation that recognizes the contributions of immigrants and ensures the continued participation of immigrants in our communities.

A full outcomes report is available online here. Subscribe to the Texas Catholic Voice to receive regular email updates from us.