Thread: Texas Sheriff ‘Sanctuary Sally’ Set to Stop Enforcing the Law

by BOB PRICE
18 Jan 2017
Austin, TX

A Texas sheriff dubbed “Sanctuary Sally” by her opponent during her election campaign, appears to be ready to live up to her campaign promise to not enforce the law regarding criminal illegal aliens.

Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez is expected to announce that her jail, located in Texas’ capital city, will no longer honor immigration detainers placed on criminals by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Austin American-Statesman reported Tuesday evening. The move could cost the county millions in state and local law enforcement grants.

Travis County Budget Director Travis Gatlin sent a memo to other county officials notifying them that “according to Hernandez, the county will no longer be complying with a state rule that the county honor such federal requests in order to receive some grant money,” according to the local newspaper.

Travis County Sheriff Spokesperson Kristen Dark confirmed to Breitbart Texas Wednesday morning that Sheriff Hernandez sill has not made a formal announcement of a change in policy. However, the local news outlet reported that Gatlin’s memo said, “[S]heriff Hernandez has informed (the budget office) that she will not be able to provide the required certification” for the grant funds.

Breitbart Texas reported in September that then-candidate Hernandez had made a campaign pledge to get ICE officials out of the Travis County jail. Under the previous Democrat sheriff, there were ICE agents working directly with the jail and the department honored immigration detainers. It appears that practice is about to end.

“I just don’t think you solve the criminal justice process by deporting them,” Hernandez told The Texas Tribune during a sit-down interview in her office in September. “We talk about being progressive. I believe we need to lead the way.”

Her campaign website stated, “I believe that the current relationship between the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) must end. Travis County should not honor illegal, warrantless ICE notifications or detainer requests, period.”

Her opponent in the race gave her the moniker “Sanctuary Sally,” the Austin American-Statesman reported.

One of those criminal aliens with an immigration detainer is a 5-time deportee, Nicondemo Coria-Gonzales. The Mexican national with a U.S. criminal history now stands accused of assaulting and raping at least nine Travis County women.

The move to stop enforcing the law will likely come with a cost. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has threatened to deny law enforcement grants to any jurisdiction that sets itself up as a sanctuary jurisdiction. The Austin American-Statesman estimates that could cost Travis County $1.8 million in funds.

Gatlin told the county officials in his memo, “We are hopeful OOG (the office of the governor) will ultimately decide to continue funding our valuable programs,” he said. That does not appear likely.

Governor Abbott took note of the new sheriff’s threat to stop enforcing the law and Tweeted, “I am about to up the ante. No more sanctuary cities in Texas.”

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And I'm about to up the ante. No more sanctuary cities in Texas. #txlege http://www.mystatesman.com/news/sher...dNXc5MRzWhRrK/ …
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Photo published for Sheriff’s stand on ICE detainers could cost Travis County $1.8 million
Sheriff’s stand on ICE detainers could cost Travis County $1.8 million
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Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhard told the Austin newspaper that losing the state grants could force the county to have to find other sources of money to fund support programs including family violence education, and anti-prostitution efforts.

State grants are not the only funds that could be stripped from Sheriff Hernandez’ department. Failure cooperate with federal immigration officials is against the law and the Department of Justice (DOJ) can use existing law to strip federal law enforcement grants.

The DOJ’s Office of Inspector General is currently working through a list of more than 300 sanctuary jurisdictions supplied to them by U.S. Representative John Culberson (R-TX). The agency has already notified the top ten sanctuary jurisdictions they are not in compliance with the law and will not be eligible for future grants. This includes the entire states of California and Connecticut.

“The law requires cooperation with immigration officials 100 percent of the time,” Culberson told Breitbart Texas in an exclusive interview in November.

“The critical steps have already been taken,” Chairman Culberson stated. “President Trump and Attorney General Sessions will, on day one, be able to strip the funding from these sanctuary jurisdictions simply by enforcing existing law.”

The legislative intent of the law, the DOJ OIG explained in a report certifying the sanctuary jurisdictions as not being in compliance, is “to prevent any State or local law, ordinance, executive order, policy, constitutional provision, or decision of any Federal or State court that prohibits or in any way restricts any communication between State and local officials and the INS.”

Using the “power of the purse” entrusted to Congress, Culberson said he has been able to “step on the air hose” of the DOJ and force the certification of ten sanctuary jurisdictions as not being in compliance with 8 U.S.C. § 1373, an existing law that requires 100 percent cooperation from local and state jurisdictions in order to receive DOJ grant funding. The law was passed during the Clinton Administration.

“99 percent is not good enough,” Culberson stated. “These jurisdictions must cooperate 100 percent in order to qualify for these DOJ grants. They must choose between protecting illegal aliens and receiving federal funds.”

Breitbart Texas spoke with Culberson in December about Sheriff Hernandez’ plans to make Travis County a sanctuary jurisdiction. He said that as soon as it is official, he will be adding her department to the list supplied to the DOJ.

Several Sanctuary City bills have been filed by legislators in the new Texas legislative session which began in January. Breitbart Texas reported on one such bill filed by State Senator Charles Perry (R-Lubbock).

“By electing a Republican president and Republican majorities in Congress, the American people made it clear that solving our illegal immigration crisis must be a priority,” Senator Charles Perry said in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “That starts by eliminating sanctuary cities, securing our border, and enforcing the immigration laws we currently have on the books. We cannot sit idly by and allow local policies to undercut efforts made at the federal and state level.”

Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said, “No city in Texas should be allowed to ignore the law. We will end this practice once and for all this session.”

http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/...enforcing-law/

Looks like Gov. Abbot is about to get real. This is good news for Texas.

Texas rocks!

by BOB PRICE
23 Jan 2017
Austin, TX

Texas Governor Greg Abbott moved quickly against the Travis County Sheriff who announced late last week that she would be changing her department’s policy on cooperating with federal immigration officials.

“As Sheriff your primary duty is to ensure the safety of the residents of Travis County,” Abbott wrote in a letter to Sheriff Sally Hernandez. “However, your recent policy directive forbidding Travis County Sherriff’s Office (TCSO) employees from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) (except in the most limited of circumstances) betrays your oath and the residents of Travis County. I strongly urge you to reverse that policy before its effective date of February 1, 2017.”

Abbott called the decision by Texas’ capital county sheriff “dangerous” and “shortsighted.” In referring to her announcement, the Texas governor said it was “not a pronouncement of sound public policy; it is a dangerous game of political Russian roulette—with the lives of Texans at stake.”

Moreover, the governor’s letter stated:

“Your shortsighted policy ignores those astounding figures and would permit TCSO employees to comply with an ICE detainer request in only the most limited of circumstances. Under your reckless policy, for example, dangerous criminal aliens convicted of felonies like murder; aggravated assault; human trafficking, including child sex trafficking; aggravated kidnapping; inducing sexual performance by a child or indecency with a child; dangerous gang activities; and the manufacture or delivery of deadly substances such as heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, GHB, PCP, and ketamine will be turned loose into Travis County without permitting ICE the opportunity to collect them.”

The Texas Legislature is already in the process of dealing with sanctuary cities and counties. Texas State Senator Charles Perry pre-filed a bill requiring local law enforcement agencies in the state to uphold current immigration law. The filing of SB 4 by Senator Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) on Tuesday follows the announcement by Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick that ending sanctuary cities in Texas would be a priority for the 85th Legislative Session which begins in January 2017.

“By electing a Republican president and Republican majorities in Congress, the American people made it clear that solving our illegal immigration crisis must be a priority,” Senator Charles Perry said in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “That starts by eliminating sanctuary cities, securing our border, and enforcing the immigration laws we currently have on the books. We cannot sit idly by and allow local policies to undercut efforts made at the federal and state level.”

Lt. Governor Patrick said, “No city in Texas should be allowed to ignore the law. We will end this practice once and for all this session.”

Governor Abbott addressed the legislative session stating:

“During the pending legislative session, I will be working with the Texas legislature to do more to protect our citizens from misguided and dangerous sanctuary policies like yours. Your reckless actions endangering the safety of Texans will provide powerful testimony for the need to strengthen Texas law. It will make clear that conditioning state funding on compliance with federal immigration laws is not enough. Rather, Texas must enact tough penalties that punish those who would put themselves above the law—and even above the community they purportedly serve.”

This is not the first Texas county sheriff to be confronted by Abbott over sanctuary policies. Stating that such policies will “no longer be tolerated in Texas,” Abbott told Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez to change her position or face losing state law enforcement grants. Valdez announced in October 2015 that she would be considering immigration detainer requests only on a case-by-case basis.

“Your refusal to fully participate in a federal law enforcement program intended to keep dangerous criminals off the streets leaves the State no choice but to take whatever actions are necessary to protect our fellow Texans,” Abbott said at the time. “Now more than ever, it is essential that state, federal, and local law enforcement work collaboratively to protect our fellow Texans and to ensure that our laws are upheld, not disregarded.”

The move by the two Texas sheriffs could also put their counties in danger of losing federal law enforcement grants, Breitbart Texas previously reported. “99 percent is not good enough,” Congressman John Culberson told Breitbart Texas. “These jurisdictions must cooperate 100 percent in order to qualify for these DOJ grants. They must choose between protecting illegal aliens and receiving federal funds.”

Breitbart Texas reached out to Sheriff Hernandez for a response to the governor’s letter and threat of stopping state funds to her office. No response was available by publish time.

http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/...se-lose-funds/

Absolutely!! Thank you Governor Abbott!! Thank you very very much!!!

Go a step further...relieve her of HER duties.

All of them, fire them and escort them out of the building.

She can go be the new Sheriff in Town...in Mexico.

Yes, that is what needs to be done!

Let her be the first to "die on the sword". Relieve her of her duties...then hit California and New York HARD.

The rest will straighten up real fast!

We will see how much they want to keep their jobs...over protecting criminal trespassers and felons.