Trump administration weighs in on sanctuary cities court battleThe Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the federal court case over Texas' Senate Bill 4, arguing that the state is within its rights to adopt the anti-"sanctuary cities" law.
by Julián Aguilar June 23, 2017 2 hours ago The Trump administration has officially entered the courtroom battle over Senate Bill 4, Texas' immigration-enforcement bill.
On Friday, attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in the federal court case. The state was sued over the measure last month, the day after Gov. Greg Abbott signed the controversial bill into law.
Known as the "sanctuary cities" bill, the legislation allows local law enforcement officers to question the immigration status of people they legally detain or arrest. It also punishes local government department heads and elected officials who don’t cooperate with federal immigration "detainers" — request by agents to turn over immigrants subject to possible deportation.
Opponents of the measure, including the cities of Houston, Austin and San Antonio, as well as Webb County’s El Cenizo and Maverick and El Paso counties, argue in court filings that the law violates several provisions of the U.S. Constitution, including guarantees of equal protection and freedom of speech. The opponents also argue that the law violates the Constitution's supremacy clause, which states that federal law — including statutes dealing with immigration enforcement — is “wholly dedicated to the federal government and may not be usurped by the states.”
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https://www.texastribune.org/2017/06/23/trump-administration-weighs-sb4-court-battle/
