Bishops encouraged by injunction on SB 4

AUSTIN — The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB) is encouraged by a San Antonio federal court’s ruling to halt the implementation of SB 4. The law would have punished police officers if they did not fully cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and would have also allowed local police to inquire into the legal status of people who are arrested or stopped by police. More information on SB 4 can be found on our site here. The bishops were deeply disappointed with the bill because migrants who had committed no crime that merits arrest or citation would have been caught up in the criminal justice system. This would not help peace officers build trust with the migrant community, which is critical to keeping our communities safe. The TCCB remains dedicated to reforming immigration laws in a manner that is targeted, proportional, and humane, and the bishops are grateful that the federal court halted the implementation of SB 4.