Potential bill could force UH to cooperate with federal immigration requests

News – The Daily Cougar By Traynor Swanson March 10, 2017

If passed by the Texas House of Representatives and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, Senate Bill 4 could require college campuses to enforce federal immigration law or be faced with a loss of state funding. | File photo/The Cougar
Texas public universities could lose state funding if they fail to comply with federal immigration enforcement in the detention of undocumented immigrants, according to the Texas Tribune.
Senate Bill 4, passed by the Texas Senate in February, would penalize any local or state government entities, including college campuses, that do not cooperate with federal immigration requests, known as ICE detainers — effectively preventing Texas cities from becoming so-called sanctuary cities. Any entity in violation of the law could lose state funding.
Officials could be subject to a Class A misdemeanor, resulting in a punishment of up to one year in a county jail and a fine up to $4,000, according to the Houston Chronicle.
“The law in effect tries to create a situation where localities will feel pressure to enforce the immigration laws,” said Geoffrey Hoffman, director of the UH Law Center Immigration Clinic.
Hoffman said enforcing immigration laws is the “province of the federal government — not the states,” under the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.
According to the Texas Tribune, Laredo Sen. Judith Zaffirini proposed an amendment that would have removed college campuses from the bill, but it was voted down across party lines. If the bill is passed by the Texas House of Representatives and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, UHPD officials could be charged if they do not enforce federal immigration laws.
Executive Director of Media Relations Mike Rosen said that UH complies with all local, state and federal laws. A cursory search of UHPD’s records did not reveal any instances of someone being detained strictly for the purpose of an ICE investigation, he said.
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