Asian Americans Advancing Justice Applauds Injunction Against Texas Anti-Immigrant Bill, Focuses on Leading the Charge to Protect Immigrants In Other States
On Wednesday, August 30, a federal judge in San Antonio temporarily blocked Texas from implementing state Senate Bill 4, as the lawsuit over the bill continues. Texas’ SB4 was set to go into effect on Friday and essentially mandates local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, stripping power from Texas cities and counties to determine how and whether to do so. Advancing Justice condemned the passage of Texas’ SB 4 earlier this year.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice), a national affiliation of five civil rights organizations, released the following statement:
“During a week in which the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program hangs in the balance, we applaud the federal district court in Texas for blocking the most controversial parts of the anti-immigrant Texas Senate Bill 4 from going into effect Friday. We believe the law violates basic Constitutional rights and places the safety and well-being of all Texans at risk. The judge agreed, writing in his decision that there ‘is overwhelming evidence by local officials, including local law enforcement, that SB 4 will erode public trust and make many communities and neighborhoods less safe.’
Texas’ SB4 will escalate fear in immigrant communities regardless of status. Immigrants are a part of the social fabric of Texas; one in six Texans is an immigrant, and seven percent of Asian immigrants — over 604,000 individuals — call Texas their home. Similar legislation in Arizona and Alabama has had devastating impacts on immigrants in those states.
Instead of doubling down on the current administration’s deportation machine and anti-immigrant agenda, Texas could have followed the leadership of other states with significant immigrant populations. Both California and Illinois have now adopted state legislation (“TRUST Act”) that welcomes immigrants, seeking to preserve public safety while also protecting civil rights and liberties. And in fact, California is currently considering its own Senate Bill 54( California Values Act) that if passed, would lead the nation in protecting immigrants in key public spaces, including courts, schools, libraries, shelters,and hospitals.
The blocking of Texas’ SB4 is a welcome victory for immigrant communities in Texas and beyond, but the state says it plans to immediately appeal the decision. As Advancing Justice, we will continue to stand in solidarity with those in Texas fighting this legally suspect law, and we will shore up our own efforts to lead the resistance against anti-immigrant strategies in California, Illinois, Georgia, and elsewhere across the nation.”
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Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of five leading organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved communities to promote a fair and equitable society for all. The affiliation’s members are: Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco), Advancing Justice – AAJC (Washington, D.C.), Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, Advancing Justice – Atlanta, and Advancing Justice – Chicago.