Travis County Judge Reacts To Cutoff Of Grant Funds Amid Dust-Up With Governor Over Local Immigration Enforcement

AUSTIN, TX — Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt reacted Wednesday to Gov. Greg Abbott cutting off blocking $1.5 million in grants to various county programs during a press conference at Travis County Commissioners Court.

“When the state cuts off our ability to do its business, it is cutting off its ability to govern,” Eckhardt said. “We want that revenue back, not for selfish purposes. We want that revenue back to do the state’s work.”

Her comments came the same day that Abbott made good on a previous threat to withhold the funds over Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez's stance on immigration enforcement. Rather than cooperating with federal immigration officials by holding detainees suspected of being undocumented immigrants until Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent can arrive to retrieve them for deportation, Hernandez is focused on honoring such "detainers" only for the hardened criminal element (those accused of murder, aggravated sexual assault or human trafficking).

Abbott prefers a stricter enforcement, calling for mass deportations of any undocumented immigrants, whether or not they have a criminal record. When the sheriff didn't alter her position by the Wednesday deadline set by the governor arrived on Wednesday, the grant money was cutoff countywide — affecting several county agencies unrelated to law enforcement.

"It is retribution for a lawful but political stance that is adverse to his political stance," Eckhardt said of the governor's motive in rescinding the annually disbursed county funds.

Like other law enforcement official across the country, Hernandez has cited the corrosive effect aggressive enforcement of immigration laws has on vulnerable communities, whose members become averse to report crimes for fear of having their status discovered. The sheriff also has suggested that her agency is set up to protect the public from criminality, not to act as a de facto immigration agency working in tandem with ICE.

During the press conference, Patch asked about the significance of the $1.5 million shortfall given the governor's cutoff as compared to the overall budget. Eckhardt said the total represents less than 1 percent of the county's overall $1 billion budget largely derived from property taxes.

A two-page copy of a letter from Eckhardt to Abbott was distributed to members of the media as further background, mostly explaining the lawful stance of the sheriff in her more nuanced approach to immigration enforcement than the governor's envisioned version.

Eckhardt previously wrote the governor on Jan. 25 asking him to reconsider his threat to cut off funds, detailing the impact it would have on myriad country programs assisting families, women, children and veterans. Abbott directed an underling to respond to Eckhardt in a letter that was largely dismissive of her concerns.

The governor has hinted he would seek other punitive measures as a result of the sheriff's limited cooperation with ICE, including seeking legislation designed to remove her from her duly elected office and crafting a method of changing state law by putting all state sheriffs under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

For previous coverage on this issue, click here.

>>> Sheriff Sally Hernandez official photo above, photo of Judge Eckhardt by Tony Cantú