Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R.) has written a letter opposing the Sheriff of Dallas’ decision not to fully honor the requests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain criminal immigrants, saying the practice poses a "serious danger" to the people of Texas.
The letter came after the sheriff decided to implement a case-by-case immigrant detection plan, instead of following ICE’s requests. The governor said this would no longer be tolerated in Texas.
"Your refusal to fully participate in a federal law enforcement program intended to keep dangerous criminals off the streets leaves the State no choice but to take whatever actions are necessary to protect our fellow Texans," the governor writes. "Policies like yours compel Texas to take action to protect Texans’ safety and to reduce the costs that those policies may impose on Texas taxpayers."
Abbott cited the example of Kate Steinle who was murdered by an undocumented immigrant who was released because a sheriff decided not to honor ICE’s requests. "It is unacceptable for a Texas Sheriff to take a similarly dangerous path by departing from the strictest ICE standards," he writes. "The ICE Director has forewarned that reduced cooperation from local governments—like Sheriffs—‘may increase the risk that dangerous criminals are returned to the streets, putting the public and our officers at great risk.’"
In addition to passing laws that would prohibit promoting sanctuary to people in Texas illegally, Abbott also says Texas should enact laws that would make it illegal for the Sheriff’s Department not to follow detainer requests.
"Now more than ever, it is essential that state, federal, and local law enforcement work collaboratively to protect our fellow Texans and to ensure that our laws are upheld, not disregarded," Abbott says.