Austin Formally Sues Texas Over Anti-Immigrant Senate Bill 4

AUSTIN, TX — The city of Austin on Friday formally filed a challenge to the anti-immigrant measure dubbed Senate Bill 4 in federal court that posits the measure as unconstitutional, officials said.

The city now joins San Antonio, the county of El Paso and El Cenizo among jurisdictions challenging the newly signed law in court.

“Elected leaders across the state are following the leadership of community members who have called for a

Summer of Resistance against the immoral and unconstitutional SB 4,” said Austin City Council member

Greg Casar in announcing the legal challenge. "Today Austin is proud to join San Antonio, El Paso, and El

Cenizo in challenging SB 4 in court for threatening the safety and constitutional rights of our community.”

Casar has arguably been the most vocal opponent of the new legislation, voicing his opposition from the council dais and at various protest rallies decrying the measure. He has the backing of his colleagues in opposing SB4, including that of Mayor Steve Adler.

Scheduled to take effect on Sept. 1, SB4 would impose fines and even jail time on law enforcement officials in Texas deemed as being to soft on cooperating with federal immigration officials in detaining undocumented immigrants. Before the law championed by Gov. Greg Abbott was enacted, Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez preferred a more nuanced approach to detaining immigrants by focusing on those with felons in their backgrounds—an approach that earned the governor's ire.

Casar was joined by other officials in announcing the lawsuit on Thursday morning at a press conference outside the immigrant advocacy group Workers Defense Project at 5604 Manor Rd.

>>> Image via Shutterstock