Texas’s controversial new “sanctuary cities” law has raised some thorny legal questions, notes The Houston Chronicle.
First, does Texas now have the legal authority to force a town or county to deport a resident?
Under Federal law, it’s perfectly legal for municipalities to refuse to hand over immigrants to Federal authorities. And opponents of the law say if it’s true for the feds, it should be true for the states. But one constitutional law expert told the Chronicle that there's nothing in the federal Constitution that says states can’t force their municipalities to obey.
Another question is whether this law strips local police of their rights. The ACLU agrees that the law puts local cops in a tough spot. Another question: Does this law target people because of their race? An El Paso County lawsuit says the ban encourages racial profiling from police. The courts will decide sooner or later.