This Tuesday, the Texas State Senate gave preliminary approval to a bill that would require law enforcement in cities, counties, and universities to hold an arrested person in custody until United States Customs or federal officials can look into his or her immigration status. This bill can initially abolish “Sanctuary” Cities such as Dallas, Austin, Houston, and El Paso. If officials in these districts fail to do so, they may be denied state funding.

On Tuesday, the senate approved the Senate 4 bill, with 20 Republicans for it and 10 Democrats against it. In a statement after the vote, Republican Governor Greg Abbott, stated that the actions taken in the Senate will “ensure that Sheriffs and officials across Texas comply with federal immigration laws and honor Immigration and Custom Enforcement detainer requests that keep dangerous criminals off of our streets.” The draft stated that it would not permit officers to search one’s car, home or place of business “to enforce a federal law relating to aliens, immigrants, or immigration.”

Protests against the bill have occurred over this past week, making jokes such as “SB 4: So Bad 4 Democracy”. Where over 450 protesters were confined to the City Hall, they were making their views of the bill known.

Clearing the Texas Senate this Wednesday, the time to which the House shall pass the bill still remains unclear. Although with the movement for the SB 4, it’s meeting resistance by others. The Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez has said that her department shall deny the bill if it comes to pass, in an interview stating, “Our community is safer when people can report crimes without fear of deportation”. Regardless of this, officials in sanctuary cities are speaking in opposition to it, with the governor making a statement that “Some law enforcement officials in Texas are openly refusing to enforce the existing law,” and that it is “unacceptable.” Following this statement, Governor Greg Abbott cancelled $1.5 million in grants to Travis County after making a sanctuary city ban an emergency item State of the State speech on Tuesday when referring to the Senate Bill 4. The American Civil Liberties Union Texas has stated that it plans to stop the bill.