Travis County Officials React To AG Jeff Sessions Vow To Punish 'Sanctuary Cities'

AUSTIN, TX — Travis County officials on Monday responded to Attorney General Jeff Sessions' vow to take "...all lawful steps to claw back" federal funds from sanctuary cities by reiterating law enforcement officials are in full compliance with the law.

On Monday, Sessions threatened to block federal grants meant for law enforcement from municipalities deemed "sanctuary cities" for a perceived lack of forcefulness in complying with immigration policy by not fully cooperating with federal immigration officials. Said Sessions in an announcement from the White House on Monday: "I urge our nation's states and cities to consider carefully the harm they are doing to their citizens by refusing to enforce our immigration laws, and to rethink these policies," Sessions said from the White House. "Such policies make their cities and states less safe, and put them at risk of losing valuable federal dollars."

In response, Eckhardt reiterated that Travis County is in compliance with enforcing all laws.

"Travis County is focused on enforcing state criminal laws," Eckhardt said in a prepared statement. "In doing so, Travis County officials do not enforce nor obstruct in any way the enforcement of federal immigration law by federal immigration officials. I am frustrated that Travis County resources and attention are continually diverted from public safety to address unfounded politically motivated allegations of wrong-doing."

The judge noted the move is nothing more than retribution for the county's preference to focus on detention of high-level offenders rather than target all undocumented immigrants for deportations as the Trump administration has expressed.

"The section of federal law cited by Attorney General Sessions has been in our federal grants for many years," Eckhardt said. "We are and have been in full compliance with its requirements. The cited provision is thin cloaking for political retribution."

Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez also said the county was in compliance with the law, regardless of Sessions' assertions to the contrary. Hernandez issued the following statement:

"Travis County Sheriff’s Office is completely lawful and upholding the Constitution with our ICE policy. We are also in full compliance with 8 USC 1373. Our policy states in item #10 that “This policy in no way prohibits or restricts sending information to or requesting or receiving information from ICE regarding an individual’s immigration or citizenship status, and nothing in this policy shall be construed to prohibit or restrict TCSO personnel from exchanging information regarding the immigration or citizenship status of any individual with ICE.

"Our ICE policy is in place to uphold our status as one of the safest counties in the nation as well as to reduce Travis County’s liability by requiring ICE to provide warrants rather than requests."

Not everyone was concerned about Sessions' vow to cut off funds. Gov. Greg Abbott — a vocal proponent for across-the-board deportations of undocumented immigrants, with or without a criminal record — applauded the AG's strident remarks. Abbot himself has made good on threats to cut off funds, recently stripping Travis County of $1.5 million in grants to county programs (even those unrelated to law enforcement) as punitive step in response to Hernandez's more nuanced policy focused on felons for deportation.

“I applaud today’s bold action by Attorney General Sessions that aims to end sanctuary city policies that endanger American lives,” Abbott said in a prepared statement. “After years of the previous administration turning a blind eye to this issue, the federal government is sending a clear and necessary message that the laws of this land are going to be enforced. Texas joins the Trump administration in its commitment to end sanctuary cities, and I look forward to signing legislation that bans these dangerous policies in Texas once and for all.”

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