Loon - Texas Sheriff ‘Sanctuary Sally’ Set to
Post# of 51167
A Texas sheriff dubbed “Sanctuary Sally” by her opponent during her election campaign, appears to be ready to live up to her campaign promise to not enforce the law regarding criminal illegal aliens.
Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez is expected to announce that her jail, located in Texas’ capital city, will no longer honor immigration detainers placed on criminals by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Austin American-Statesman reported Tuesday evening. The move could cost the county millions in state and local law enforcement grants.
Travis County Budget Director Travis Gatlin sent a memo to other county officials notifying them that “according to Hernandez, the county will no longer be complying with a state rule that the county honor such federal requests in order to receive some grant money,” according to the local newspaper.
Travis County Sheriff Spokesperson Kristen Dark confirmed to Breitbart Texas Wednesday morning that Sheriff Hernandez sill has not made a formal announcement of a change in policy. However, the local news outlet reported that Gatlin’s memo said, “
Breitbart Texas reported in September that then-candidate Hernandez had made a campaign pledge to get ICE officials out of the Travis County jail. Under the previous Democrat sheriff, there were ICE agents working directly with the jail and the department honored immigration detainers. It appears that practice is about to end.
“I just don’t think you solve the criminal justice process by deporting them,” Hernandez told The Texas Tribune during a sit-down interview in her office in September. “We talk about being progressive. I believe we need to lead the way.”
Her campaign website stated, “I believe that the current relationship between the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) must end. Travis County should not honor illegal, warrantless ICE notifications or detainer requests, period.”
Her opponent in the race gave her the moniker “Sanctuary Sally,” the Austin American-Statesman reported.
One of those criminal aliens with an immigration detainer is a 5-time deportee, Nicondemo Coria-Gonzales. The Mexican national with a U.S. criminal history now stands accused of assaulting and raping at least nine Travis County women.
The move to stop enforcing the law will likely come with a cost. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has threatened to deny law enforcement grants to any jurisdiction that sets itself up as a sanctuary jurisdiction. The Austin American-Statesman estimates that could cost Travis County $1.8 million in funds.
Gatlin told the county officials in his memo, “We are hopeful OOG (the office of the governor) will ultimately decide to continue funding our valuable programs,” he said. That does not appear likely.
Governor Abbott took note of the new sheriff’s threat to stop enforcing the law and Tweeted, “I am about to up the ante. No more sanctuary cities in Texas.”