President Donald Trump’s executive order to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities could hit San Antonio in the wallet … or not.
Officials in the South Texas city — the nation’s seventh biggest, with a large Hispanic population — have said it is not an official haven for illegal immigrants. But Federation of Americans for Immigration Reform maintains that San Antonio Police Department rules meet the sanctuary definition.
SAPD policy in effect since Oct. 28, 2015, states that the department “will only contact [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] if a detainee is found to have criminal warrants issued by ICE, a deportation warrant, or is a previously deported felon.”
“Clearly, this falls far short of being in full compliance with federal law, since it restricts full cooperation with federal immigration authorities,” FAIR spokesman David Ray told Watchdog.org on Wednesday.
Dallas and Travis counties have more expansive policies, and have drawn threats of state funding cuts from Gov. Greg Abbott.
Abbott said this month he expects the Texas Legislature to pass an anti-sanctuary city bill this year.
San Antonio officials did not respond to Watchdog’s request for comment by deadline.
Nationally, FAIR identified 300 jurisdictions as sanctuaries:
239 have sanctuary policies or practices instituted by law enforcement agencies.
23 have sanctuary resolutions.
15 have sanctuary laws or ordinances, including statewide laws in California, Connecticut and Oregon.
5 jurisdictions have sanctuary executive orders.
18 either have multiple forms of sanctuary policies or practices in place, or have a policy or practice that fits no other classification.
Rep. Brian Babin, R-Baytown, applauded Trump’s crackdown.
“Any city that purposely ignores the letter of the law and allows criminal aliens to roam free must be held accountable,” said Babin, who recently introduced legislation sanctioning countries that refuse to accept criminal aliens deported from the U.S.
This article originally appeared at Watchdog.org.
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