Mexico Regrets Texas Sanctuary City Ban

By Kausha Luna on May 10, 2017

On Monday, Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a press release lamenting the enactment of Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB 4).Signed by Governor Greg Abbott, SB 4 bans sanctuary jurisdictions in the state of Texas.

The Mexican government expressed concern over the bill, which it considers to include "elements that could be harmful to the rights of Mexicans and people of Mexican descent living in [the United States]." The new law will go into effect on September 1, 2017, and will restrict cities, counties, and universities from prohibiting local law enforcement inquiries about an individual's immigration status and from interfering with law enforcement activities. Moreover, the bill will impose civil and criminal penalties on any government official or law enforcement officer who refuses to cooperate with federal immigration authorities or to enforce federal immigration laws.

Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that such measures "further criminalize migration, encourage acts of racial discrimination, and reduce the cooperation of the migrant community with local authorities." The press release also notes that the ministry will follow up on the implementation of this new law and that the Mexican government, through the 11 Mexican consulates in Texas, will keep the Mexican community informed on the scope of the new law and will "continue to take the necessary actions to ensure the respect for their rights, regardless of their immigration status."