MALDEF STATEMENT ON TEXAS "SANCTUARY CITIES" BILL

MALDEF

April 27, 2017

Austin, TX - Please attribute the following statement on Texas' so-called "sanctuary cities" bill, SB 4, to Marisa Bono, Southwest regional counsel, MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund):

"The Texas House action on SB 4 early this morning is short-sighted and incredibly disruptive to the lives of all Latinos in the state. The proposal was a mistake from its inception and is just as flawed as Arizona's SB 1070 law. Not only does this ill-considered bill further target immigrant communities, it exposes all Texans to unlawful violations of due process and erodes essential trust between police and the public. Particularly egregious is the amendment to allow law enforcement agencies to question detained or arrested individuals about their immigration status. While it purports to target dangerous criminals, it actually achieves the opposite by pushing police to focus on immigration status and invites racial profiling by overzealous officers. MALDEF will be closely monitoring the debate surrounding SB 4 and will be prepared to stand in court with Texas’s immigrant communities if necessary."

Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation's leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the "Latino Legal Voice for Civil Rights in America" MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights, and political access. For more information on MALDEF, please visit: www.maldef.org.