ACLU Issues Travel Advisory Against Texas In Wake Of Anti-Immigrant Law Passage

AUSTIN, TX — The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday issued a travel alert following passage of Senate Bill 4—an anti-immigration measure cracking down on undocumented residents—cautioning visitors to Texas of potential violations of their Constitutional rights amid the new law's passage this week.

The bill was signed into law Sunday evening by Gov. Greg Abbott, who chose Facebook Live to broadcast official passage of a measure he aggressively championed. The forum he chose to telegraph his signing—with just him sitting at a desk sans ceremonial artifice— took many by surprise given Abbott's vocal support of an immigration crackdown on what he views as "sanctuary cities" perceived as not fully compliant with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in deporting undocumented residents.

Due to take effect Sept. 1, the law outlines penalties of up to $25,000 per day and potential jail time for law enforcement officials not fully complying with ICE. Many sheriffs and police chiefs across Texas had practiced a more nuanced approach to local enforcement focusing on hardened felons for detention, but SB4 compels them to honor all ICE requests for detention of the undocumented—whether they have a criminal record or not.

Related stories:

Texas Governor Signs Far-Reaching Anti-Immigration Law On Facebook Live

Texas Attorney General Files Suit To Deter Sanctuary Cities Law Legal Challenges

The ACLU is the first bit of formal backlash in opposition to the newly minted law many see as tantamount to racial and/or ethnic profiling. It allows police to inquire about a person's documentation status during their encounters with members of the public, and opponents have promised to mount legal challenges to inhibit its taking effect come September.

“The ACLU’s goal is to protect all Texans and all people traveling through Texas — regardless of their immigration status — from illegal harassment by law enforcement,” said Lorella Praeli, ACLU director of immigration policy and campaigns, in a Tuesday advisory. “Texas is a state with deep Mexican roots and home to immigrants from all walks of life. Many of us fit the racial profile that the police in Texas will use to enforce Trump’s draconian deportation force.”

In issuing the travel advisory, ACLU officials set up a hotline for people to report having their civil rights violated in the wake of SB4's passage. That number is 1-888-507-2970.

ACLU officials also vowed to challenge the new law in the courts system.

“We plan to fight this racist and wrongheaded law in the courts and in the streets," Terri Burke, executive director of the ACLU of Texas, said. "Until we defeat it, everyone traveling in or to Texas needs to be aware of what’s in store for them. The Lone Star State will become a ‘show me your papers’ state, where every interaction with law enforcement can become a citizenship interrogation and potentially an illegal arrest.”

Between 2008 and 2012, ICE requested local law enforcement to hold 834 U.S. citizens, some of whom subsequently spent days in jail as a result, ACLU officials noted. Under SB4, the state of Texas is placing the rights of its residents, including U.S. citizens, in extreme jeopardy, officials added.

“It is simply a matter of time before illegal arrests occur," Burke said. "Local law enforcement will have to decide between violating a person’s rights and being severely fined, thrown in jail, or even being removed from office for choosing not to do so."

The ACLU action is predicated on safeguards outlined in the U.S. Constitution for anyone living in the U.S.: “Everyone has constitutional rights in this country," Praeli said. "The state of Texas, and every law enforcement officer, must respect those rights. The ACLU stands ready to safeguard those freedoms against those who seek to diminish them.”

In tandem with issuing the travel advisory, the ACLU released “Know Your Rights” materials relevant to SB4 in both English and Spanish. To read in English, click here. For the Spanish-language version, click here.

The Texas anti-immigration law was aided in the wake of the election of Donald Trump to the presidency given his own voiced support for immigration crackdowns, yielding political capital in the Lone Star State among like-minded lawmakers. Correspondingly, in the weeks following Trump's election, the ACLU received an unprecedented level of support in the form of donations from the public to the tune of $24 million—more than six times its average yearly intake.

Trump has voiced support for building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to curtail illegal immigration and has twice failed to implement a ban on travel by Muslims that federal judges have struck down.

>>> Image via Shutterstock