SAN ANTONIO – The city of El Cenizo, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the American Civil Liberties Union have filed for a preliminary injunction to stop Texas Senate Bill 4 or the "sanctuary cities ban" from going into effect in Texas.
The plaintiffs claim SB 4 is unconstitutional.
"It's like any other lawsuit,” LULAC National General Counsel Luis Vera said. “You have a final hearing and a final trial on that. But because this law takes effect on September 1. It must be stopped before September 1, because what we can show is the irreparable harm that will occur if it does not get stopped."
The law allows officers to ask someone they've detained about their immigration status and punishes police chiefs, sheriffs, and constables who do not comply with immigration detainer requests.
Related: Lawsuit filed on behalf of San Antonio against sanctuary cities ban
Related: City officials split over controversial sanctuary cities ban lawsuit
The city of San Antonio and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed its own lawsuit challenging the law last week.{C}
{C}{C}{C}
"The worst part of this law is not only does it commandeer all the local governments and local officials and law enforcement, it does so without giving them any resources to work with Jessie,” Vera said. “Every cent that has to be paid for by the local government has to be paid for by the taxpayer, local taxpayers own coffers."
The law is expected to go into effect September 1.
--------------------------------------------------------
Don't miss a thing. Get email alerts from KSAT12 today.
Get alerted to news events as they happen or sign up for a scheduled news headline email that is delivered right to your inbox. Breaking news, severe weather, daily forecasts, entertainment news, all of the day’s important events to keep you up to date wherever you are.
Sign up today. It's Free.
SB 4 lawsuit Austin intervening