Scheduled Texas House SB4 Debate Punishing 'Sanctuary Cities' Already Yielding Mixed Reaction

AUSTIN, TX — As the Texas House prepares for Wednesday's likely rancorous debate on Senate Bill 4—proposed legislation to penalize so-called "sanctuary jurisdictions" deemed too lenient in enforcing immigration policy amid an ongoing crackdown on undocumented immigrants—one state representative is in the midst of a four-day hunger strike in protest.

State Rep. Victoria Neave, who represents Texas House District 107 encompassing parts of Dallas, Mesquite and Garland, has eaten since Sunday in protest of the prevailing debate over immigration.

Her silent protest is in reaction to a bill that would require all law enforcement officials in Texas to honor U.s. Customs and Immigration Enforcement "detainers," voluntary requests from the agency for jurisdictions to hold people arrested on suspicion of being undocumented immigrants for at least 48 hours until ICE can send an agent to retrieve the detainee and begin the process of deportation.

Some law enforcement officials—including Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez—prefer a more nuanced approach rather than a wholesale roundup of all undocumented immigrants, honoring ICE detainers when they involve felons. That approach (designed to foster community policing and trust of law enforcement among marginalized groups) earned the ire of Gov. Greg Abbott, who rescinded a wide array of county grants in retaliation.

Abbott has made banning what he calls "sanctuary cities" a priority of his administration, as expressed during his recent "state of the state" address earlier this year. Given his urgency, legislators simpatico with his cause waived the 60-day waiting period for voting on legislation and opted to take up the measure the same week Abbott made his pronouncement.

In another move designed to expedite passage, State Rep. Todd Hunter, A Republican from Corpus Christi who chairs the House Committee on Calendars, previously proposed a rule that would've required all amendments to SB4 to be pre-filed by Tuesday at 1 p.m. the measure was defeated in a 90-52 vote.

“The Texas House of Representatives follows established rules and procedures for a reason," State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez said in a subsequent statement. "When respected, they provide for robust debate and lead to better public policy."

Rodriguez, an Austin Democrat, credited his fellow party members for ensuring the measure's defeat. Calling SB 4 "bad public policy," he nonetheless said the defeat of the proposed calendar rule would accommodate a healthy exchange of ideas during Wednesday's debate on the bill.

"House Democrats joined together today to defeat an attempt to hamstring the rules, exerting the strength of the caucus to ensure that SB 4 receives a full debate on the House floor. Passage of the calendar rule would have helped SB 4’s proponents avoid a messy discussion about important issues with the bill and fast-track its passage."

Authored by State Sen. Charles Perry, a Republican from Lubbock, SB 4 would impose harsh penalties on cities and counties declining to aggressively assist federal immigration enforcement officials.

For Neave, her silent protest is personal, she told the Statesman. She last ate when she took communion during Sunday mass in her Dallas hometown.

"For me, this is very spiritual," she told the paper. "This is very personal to me. I'm the daughter of an immigrant. My father came as an undocumented immigrant. He's proud to be a citizen now. He's proud to be an American."

State Rep. Charlie Geren, the Republican from Fort Worth carrying SB 4 in the House, expressed derision about Neave's form of protest on the eve of what is likely to be lengthy debate on the matter.

"I didn’t get to be a fat white boy by not eating,” he said jokingly when asked about his Democratic counterpart's form of expression, as quoted by the Statesman.

Neave said she won't eat again until the aftermath of the debate.

That vow gave Geren more comedic fodder: "What I need to do is postpone it to a couple od days and see how hungry she gets," Geren said as quoted by the newspaper.

SB 4 is ambitious in its scope, designed not only to bar "sanctuary cities" and "sanctuary jurisdictions," but written in a way that would prevent even public and private universities statewide from drafting policies preventing law enforcement officials from inquiring about a person's immigration status.

State Rep. Ramon Romero Jr., a Democrat from Fort Worth, joined Neave in her fast, eating just a bit of meatloaf on Monday morning. He told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram it was important to join her in solidarity as the anti-sanctuary cities bill—which would have the effect of separating more immigrant families—is debated on Wednesday.

“Victoria told members of our (Democratic) caucus about how she was moved spiritually at church," Romero told the Star-Telegram. "She said it’s critical (to undergo the fast) and she was going to ask the Lord for some help. It’s a continuation of what we just finished in the Lenten season."

Many in the ministry and those among their flock also oppose anti-immigrant measures they view as antithetical to the ideals of religious life. At demonstrations opposing the current immigration crackdown and at vigils staged at churches in solemn protest of anti-immigration measures overtaking Texas and the nation at large, church members look to Leviticus and Exodus in their Bibles in expressing the roots of their opposition:

Leviticus 19:34: "The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God."

Exodus 22:21: "Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt."

>>> Photos of state congress members via Texas House of Representatives, photo of Charles Perry via Texas Senate