AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas can require law enforcement to comply with requests from federal immigration requests to detain people in local jails for possible deportation under a new “sanctuary cities” law supported by the Trump administration, a federal appeals court ruled on Monday.
But lawyers for big cities and civil rights groups suing over the immigration crackdown, signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in May, predicted the effect would be limited and unlikely to drastically change the status quo.
The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel in New Orleans was hailed by Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as allowing the state to “enforce the core” of the law. The decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes nearly a month after a lower court judge blocked most of the law signed in May by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
That ruling was a victory for Houston, Dallas, Austin and other major Texas cities that call measure known as Senate Bill 4 unconstitutional and warn that it will cause a chilling effect in immigrant communities.
“We are pleased today’s 5th Circuit ruling will allow Texas to strengthen public safety by implementing the key components of Senate Bill 4,” Paxton said in a statement.