ANCHIA APPALLED AT GOV. ABBOTT’S CALL FOR SANCTUARY CITY LEGISLATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 27, 2015
Contact: Liz Zornes (214) 943-6081
ANCHIA APPALLED AT GOV. ABBOTT’S CALL FOR SANCTUARY CITY LEGISLATION
Criticizes Governor as being most anti-Hispanic governor in history of Texas
Yesterday Texas State Rep. Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas) expressed his strong disapproval of Governor Greg Abbott’s statement in which the Governor, among other things, urged legislators to (1) pass laws that prohibit any policy or action that promotes sanctuary to people in this state illegally, and (2) enact laws that make it illegal for a Sheriff’s Department to not honor a federal immigration detainer request.
“Governor Abbott appears to be vying for the title of most anti-Hispanic governor in the history of Texas,” Rep. Anchia explained. “As Attorney General he sued the Federal Government over President Obama’s 2014 immigration executive actions, specifically the implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) programs.”
President Obama’s immigration policies would have allowed some 5 million undocumented immigrants nationwide to apply for a work permit if they passed background checks, steered clear of trouble and paid back taxes and fines.
“In addition to suing the federal government over immigration policies, as Attorney General he filed an amicus curiae brief in support of Arizona’s anti-immigrant SB 1070, and, while campaigning for Texas governor said he would sign a repeal of the Texas DREAM Act and referred to south Texas as a third world country,” added Rep. Anchia.
Several sessions ago several members of the Texas legislature tried to pass sanctuary city legislation but, as Rep. Anchia points out, “That legislation has been repeatedly defeated by a coalition of the Texas business and faith communities, as well as Texas law enforcement officials who rely on building good relations with the immigrant community in order to fight crime in our neighborhoods.”
Rep. Anchia concluded with, “Governor Abbott will soon be known as the Donald Trump of Texas if he continues his ill-advised pursuit of anti-Hispanic policies.”
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