The Trump administration is threatening to subpoena and withhold federal money from jurisdictions still practicing sanctuary city policies.
“We've given them federal dollars, your taxpayer dollars, to cooperate with federal law enforcement,” a Department of Justice spokesperson said Thursday. “They didn't have to take that money but they did, and when they took it, they said they would comply with federal law.”
Houston is among those challenging Texas' anti-sanctuary city law; though Police Chief Art Acevedo earlier this week said HPD is complying both at the state and federal level.
“We had a total of five ICE requests, ICE detainer holds for the entire calendar year of 2017,” said Chief Acevedo.
“If we're going to make the inquiry, outside of an arrest situation, of the status of one of the members of our community that we come in contact with about their immigration status, you have to write a report, we have a code for it, and I'm happy to say we've had two inquries since September.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says there's a reason Texas itself cracked down on sanctuary city polices.
“We have arrested and put in our jails in Texas over 200,000 criminal aliens since 2011 who we've charged with everything from murder to drugs, kidnapping to drug running, you name it,” he said.
The Justice Department sent letters to 23 states, cities and counties, but none were here in Texas.