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Texas House passes bill prohibiting sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants
by Joseph Ernest May 11, 2011
Newscast Media AUSTIN, Texas --As the Texas House passed HB 12, the Sanctuary Cities bill that allows cities and law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws, Barack Obama said he wanted to provide illegal immigrants with a path to citizenship - which he said would benefit the US economy.
"One way to strengthen the middle class in America is to reform the immigration system, so that there is no longer a massive underground economy that exploits a cheap source of labor while depressing wages for everybody else," Obama said.
"That's why immigration reform is an economic imperative."
Enforcing immigration laws - and opposing the idea of giving "amnesty" to those who broke the law sneaking into the country - has become a rallying cry for concerned Americans who want a clampdown to keep drug crime from crossing the border.
Representative Joaquin Castro's (San Antonio) statement on sanctuary cities:
Today, a choice was made when HB 12 was passed,
legislation which will allow law enforcement to stop people and ask them about
their immigration status, under the hospice of "sanctuary" cities.
"Debate ended prematurely last night rather than fully addressing one of
the most significant pieces of legislation in Texas in the last 50 years,"
said Representative Castro. He continued, "This bill is consistent with
other legislation passed this session which targets and disenfranchises
minorities."
Legislation such as "sanctuary" cities is a black mark on our state.
On top of that, Texans have been left out to dry by a budget that is simply
inadequate to meet our state's needs. Right now, schools and nursing homes are
anticipating closure, teachers are being fired, and students across Texas are
unsure if they will be able to afford college.
"The latest emergency item brought to the House floor is another attempt
to distract Texans from the most pressing issue facing our state, the
budget," said Castro.
Obama offered no concrete policy initiatives or timelines for introducing broad legislation, underscoring the fact that he is unlikely to advance any major overhaul before the 2012 presidential election. . Add Comments>>
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