What to know as Texas nears passing 'sanctuary city' law

Almost four months after Texas' Greg Abbott declared the abolition of sanctuary cities a top legislative priority, the governor has a sweeping new law on his desk that will force the state's largest sanctuary jurisdiction, Travis County, to hold without a warrant individuals that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security suspects of violating immigration law. Democrats and immigrant rights groups argue this makes the bill "show-me-your-papers"-type legislation that will allow police to inquire about a person's immigration status during the most routine exchanges, including traffic stops".

S.B. 4 originally started as a bill to ban sanctuary cities - those who refuse detainers or some other form of full cooperation with federal authorities on immigration - but through amendments came to include much more expansive immigration provisions.

A bill to ban "sanctuary cities" cleared its final hurdle in the Texas Legislature Wednesday when the Senate voted to accept changes made last week in the House. SB4 also requires local officials to cooperate with requests from federal agents to hold criminal suspects for possible deportation.

Abbott said after the bill passed that he would "not tolerate sanctuary-city policies that put the citizens of Texas at risk", according to the report. "SB 4 will ensure that no liberal local official can flaunt the law", Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patricksaid. Those policies would be illegal under the new law, and violating entities could face financial penalties and even jail time for the top officers in the jurisdictions. That's 20,000 more than the state of California detained.

Texas shares the longest USA border with Mexico and had long enjoyed friendlier relations with its southern neighbor than some other nearby states.

Get the lowdown on all the fighting and political intrigue in Austin in this week's Texas Take, the leading political podcast in the Lone Star State, where you get the inside scoop on the Legislature in simple language every Texan can understand - unvarnished straight talk, as they say. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston.

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Police chiefs and sheriffs have been steadfast in their opposition to a bill they say will drain precious resources, undermine trust, and prevent victims of abuse from coming forward - the amendment added fuel to their fire, as evidenced by multiple joint op-eds recently published in major dailies.

But the Texas and Arizona bills are not identical. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, scheduled for a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Wednesday.

The Texas House of Representatives joined with Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Senate on Thursday in the call to amend the United States Constitution.

But Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the settlement will not and can not affect El Paso's compliance with the law.

"It is nearly a certainty that this, SB 4, is going to be challenged immediately as soon as it goes into effect in September", said Jackie Watson, an immigration lawyer with Walker Gates Vela, PLLC.

State Rep. Richard Raymond, a Laredo Democrat, wore a Romo jersey and state Rep. Jeff Leach, a Plano Republican, donned a Cowboys helmet. The state Senate recently passed a bill that would transform the state into a sanctuary jurisdiction. "If it was the goal of Governor Abbott and GOP legislative leaders to terrorize the Latino community, they have succeeded".