Texas’s controversial “sanctuary cities” law is set to take effect on Sept. 1 and this week marks the beginning of a series of hearings to determine whether the law is actually legal.
As The Texas Tribune reports, some Texas communities began fighting the bill almost as soon as Gov. Greg Abbott signed it.
With Houston signing onto the lawsuit last week, the largest cities in the state are all lodging protests to the immigration enforcement law.
On the side of the defendants, the Trump administration has come to the aid of Gov. Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. The U.S. Justice Department filed a statement of interest last week, insisting that the law is constitutional.
The first hearings began in San Antonio on Monday, while another hearing is set for Austin tomorrow.