Houston Joins Sanctuary Cities Lawsuit

HOUSTON, TX — The City Of Houston, will join with Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and El Paso County in a lawsuit challenging Texas’ pending sanctuary cities law.

The Houston City Council voted 10-6 to join the lawsuit Wednesday following several hours of discussion on the sanctuary cities law in council chambers on Tuesday.

The Sanctuary Cities law, which originated in the state legislature as Senate Bill 4, was signed by Gv. Greg Abbott and will officially become law on Sept. 1. (Want to get daily updates about traffic news and other events going on in your area? Sign up for the free Houston Patch morning newsletter.)

The new law will allow law enforcement officers to question people about their immigration status, and would punish law enforcement officials who refuse federal immigration hold request, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Houston is home to one of the largest immigrant populations in the U.S., and was recently viewed in a Los Angeles Times article as America’s most diverse city — a designation that Mayor Sylvester Turner has worked very hard to sell.

It is estimated that more than 140 different languages are spoken in Houston, with spanish and Vietnamese among the most prominent dialects.

According to thecitywithnolimits.com, which used data from the Kinder Institute and Rice University, Houston is more diverse than the U.S., and actually is a city that has no ethnic majority, enjoying a racial diversity that’s 37 percent anglo, 37 percent Hispanic, 17 percent black, and 8 percent Asian.

Meanwhile, a hearing on the lawsuit is set for June 26 and will be held in federal district court in San Antonio, KHOU reported.

Image: Shutterstock

Follow Us On Facebook: Engage with your neighbors in the Metro Houston area and keep up with the talk of the day by liking one of our Facebook pages. Houston / Midtown Houston / Houston Heights / Galleria - River Oaks / Bellaire / Meyerland / Humble-Kingwood / Conroe-Montgomery County / Sugar Land / Pasadena / The Woodlands / Clear Lake