Texas Governor Greg Abbott Calls Out Travis County For Not Cooperating With ICE Officials

Safe to say that this “Sanctuary County” is officially on notice.

Lately, Governor Greg Abbott has been on a veritable tear against Texas municipalities who’ve decided to become “sanctuaries” for illegal immigrants. The most vocal foe has been Travis County (home to that smelly little hipster enclave, Austin), where local leaders there have tried to establish their own “Sanctuary County,” expressly against the governor’s wishes. Texas lawmakers have even worked to bring legislation that deny funding to these sanctuary cities and counties.

There is now a report out from DHS that cites Travis County as one of the worst offenders regarding cooperation with ICE officials. The report states that the county has released more criminally charged illegal immigrants, simply because ICE was looking for them –

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today issued its first “Declined Detainer Outcome Report,” which highlights the Counties that are not cooperating with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests. From the time period between January 28 – February 3, 2017, 206 criminally charged illegal immigrants nationwide were released from custody due to the denial of ICE detainer requests. The worst offender was Travis County, which accounted for 142 (nearly 70%) of those released and charged with crimes including sexual assault, aggravated assault, domestic violence, and robbery.

“Today’s report from DHS is deeply disturbing and highlights the urgent need for a statewide sanctuary city ban in Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “The Travis County Sheriff’s decision to deny ICE detainer requests and release back into our communities criminals charged with heinous crimes – including sexual offenses against children, domestic violence and kidnapping – is dangerous and should be criminal in itself. Texas will act to put an end to sanctuary policies that put the lives of our citizens at risk.”

As well as commenting in the press release about the DHS’s findings, Governor Abbott himself made his feelings on that subject crystal clear in this tweet –

Travis Co. ‘worst offender’ in U.S. in releasing charged undocumented immigrants. <—NOT FOR LONG. #SB4 ends this. https://t.co/Vymv2MhNg5

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 21, 2017

My take on these illegal immigrant sanctuaries? The left says that they’re establishing these areas to be all compassionate toward those poor, picked-on illegal immigrants, but that’s not really why they’re doing this. It’s a cheap virtue-signaling project, meant to stick their fingers in the eyes of legal American citizens. It’s a purely political move, like anything else Democrats do. They aren’t loving and tolerant for the sake of being loving and tolerant. It’s to make their opponents look like EEEEEEEEEVIL racists by comparison.

Though I would ask – how loving and tolerant does this sanctuary bullcrap look when you ask the families of people who’ve been killed by illegal immigrant criminals? How does the left’s “compassion” measure up against stories of American citizens who were robbed, raped, and/or murdered by illegal immigrants? What about the number of criminal illegals who are released by local police and then go one to commit MORE crimes because they know they can get away with it?

I’ll place the well-being of legal Americans over the hurt feelings of lawbreakers any day of the week. And it’s good to see that government leaders in Texas do as well.

(h/t The Right Scoop)