Texas Governor Hits Dallas Latina Sheriff Over “Sanctuary” Policies

*This is a showdown worth watching. Lupe Valdez is Dallas’s Latina Sheriff. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has singled her out for not complying with federal immigration laws. She says she’ll comply on a case-by-case basis. It’s a test of power, wills, and the idea of sanctuary cities. VL

By Jay Root, The Texas Tribune

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott warned the Dallas County sheriff on Monday that her new and softer approach to dealing with undocumented immigrants who commit crimes “will no longer be tolerated in Texas.”

Abbott wrote a letter to Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, a Democrat, in the wake of reports that she planned to free some of the immigrants processed through the Dallas County jail rather than hand them over to federal authorities as requested. According to recent news reports, Valdez said her office would consider federal requests on a “case by case” basis and would not automatically hand over immigrants to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

“Your refusal to fully participate in a federal law enforcement program intended to keep dangerous criminals off the streets leaves the state no choice but to take whatever actions are necessary to protect our fellow Texans,” Abbott said. “Policies like yours compel Texas to take action to protect Texans’ safety.”

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