San Antonio Sues Over Sanctuary Cities Bill – Could Houston Be Next?

(Above: San Antonio Councilmembers Shirley Gonzales, Alan Warrick, Ana Sandoval, Roberto Trevino, and Rey Saldana attend a small rally outside San Antonio City Hall just hours before the city filed suit against the state over SB 4, the so-called “sanctuary cities” ban. Photo: Joey Palacios | Texas Public Radio)

The cities of San Antonio and Austin have filed suit against the State of Texas to halt implementation of SB 4, the just-passed “sanctuary cities” ban. Houston, to date, has not. Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement at the end of May that the city is in the process of reviewing and analyzing all bills that passed out of the recently concluded legislative session.

“The city, of course, will adhere to all laws that are deemed constitutional and consistent with the rulings of the Supreme Court,” Turner said in the statement. “SB4 does not take effect until September 1, 2017. In the meantime, the city of Houston will do its analysis.”

We learn about the lawsuit from Joey Palacios, who’s been covering the story for Texas Public Radio in San Antonio.