Texas Governor Greg Abbott has vowed to crack down on counties and sheriff departments that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. “Oddly enough, these sheriffs could wind up behind the very bars they are releasing these criminals from,” said Gov. Abbott.
Travis County, Texas has already lost $1.5 million in state funding for refusing to cooperate.
The governor explains that while rules currently exist in Texas to limit funding towards sanctuary cities, they are not enough. Abbott’s government has introduced new legislation, which is expected to pass, that could include criminal sanctions on sheriff departments.
Withholding funds alone has not stopped sanctuary cities from releasing dangerous criminals back on the streets without informing ICE of their immigration status.
Sheriffs in Travis County have already been caught releasing dangerous criminal aliens into the community. Murderers and rapists have been set free, including illegal aliens who have been convicted of committing sexual assault against a minor.
Gov. Abbott is implementing on the state level the same measures that have been promised by President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the federal level.
“America is a nation based upon the rule of law, and these liberals who are abandoning the rule of law are compromising the safety and well-being of our fellow Americans, and Texas and the Trump administration are not going to tolerate it,” explained the governor.
Earlier this week, Jeff Sessions announced that sanctuary cities will lose Justice Department grants if they continue to violate the law and refuse to work with federal law enforcement officials. Some cities stand to lose millions of dollars in funding.
President Trump has already begun the mass deportations of criminal aliens simple by allowing ICE officers to do their job again. ICE conducts its investigations without the help of sanctuary cities, but Trump threatening their budgets is forcing them to comply.
Governor Abbott is a true patriot who is proving his willingness to stand up for what is right. We can no longer sit by and allow so-called law enforcement officers to violate the law and release criminals onto our streets. We need to act now!
