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.


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