Thread: Texas Senate panel derails sanctuary bill

Texas Senate panel derails sanctuary bill
By SOMMER INGRAM Associated Press © 2011 The Associated Press
May 18, 2011, 6:25PM
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AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas Senate committee derailed a plan Wednesday that would allow local police to question anyone they detain about their citizenship status, a major defeat for Gov. Rick Perry, who had called the effort an emergency and put it on the legislative fast track.
The so-called "sanctuary cities" bill sparked months of heated criticism from police chiefs across the state and Democrats in the Legislature who feared the measure would encourage racial profiling and make it harder for police to do their jobs.
The House passed the bill over emotional protests from mostly Hispanic Democrats, but the Senate committee rejected the police enforcement measure that citizens had packed a committee room to testify against. Instead, the panel approved new language that would change state laws to increase border security and expand the use of a federal citizenship verification program.
Police departments have repeatedly said that being required to take on a federal responsibility will further splinter a system already buckling under the weight of local public safety issues and limited funding.
Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said the bill would create a challenge for local officers trying to keep public safety their No. 1 priority.
"Having local law enforcement be an agent to deal with immigration is short sighted for a myriad of reasons," Acevedo said.
Though the bill may be floundering with time running out in the legislative session, its opponents know that a crippled bill could be revived at any time. The chairman of the Senate committee has suggested the sanctuary cities language could come back before the end of the session.
"We are not ready to declare victory on anything," said Luis Figueroa, legislative attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education. "Our concern is that sanctuary cities could come back."
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Associated Press Writer Jim Vertuno contributed to this report.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/ ... z1Mkg2kf36

This shows the futility and absurdity of trying to play wack-a-mole with illegals. You rile people up and make them think this is really about some sort of generalized anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic or xenophobic vendetta. It is much simpler and ten times more effective to concentrate on cracking down on the employers who exploit illegal labor. These are truly evil people only one shade removed from the old time plantation slave owners. They undercut the profitability of honest businesses, they deprive legal immigrants and citizens of employment, and they undercut the wages of all legal working people.

Make employers use E-verify. Audit suspect businesses on a random basis and send them (the employers) to Jail if illegals are discovered in the workplace or on the payroll. Offer a cash reward to anyone who reports information that results in the conviction of an employer who is using illegal labor. With these simple measures the problem of illegals will be solved within a year.

Originally Posted by hacimo

This shows the futility and absurdity of trying to play wack-a-mole with illegals.

Right on Hacimo !

Glad you joined u here at ALIPAC too.

I agree hacimo!
All we hear about is how impossible it is to deport so many illegals. All they have to do is stop companies from hiring them and stop the freebies and they will self deport!!

I just came back from Juarez. The city is completely desolated everyone has moved to El Paso. I am sure 98% of the people living in El Paso are illegally in the country.

No one speaks English, all you hear is Spanish. My family believe drug cartel's leaders have also moved and opened restaurants. My sisters told me they think Mexican doctors who moved from Juarez are seeing patients in their houses since they have no licenses to operate in this country, but need to make a living and in Juarez city cannot work anymore.

I flew into El Paso four years ago and when we landed, thought the pilot had mistakenly landed somewhere in Mexico. I did not hear a word of English being uttered at the airport. The situation only improved slightly when I got into a taxi cab.

I suppose it would be safe to assume things haven't improved much since my visit.

Can we do anything to bring the bill back for Senate vote?