Tag Archives: immigration

When might Houston file a lawsuit over SB4?

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Unclear at this time. Responding to calls for Houston to take a tougher stance on immigration legislation, Mayor Sylvester Turner said Tuesday he still is reviewing a controversial state law passed this month that allows police to ask people their … Continue reading →

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Session ends in chaos

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Seems fitting. The normally ceremonial last day of this year’s regular session of the Texas Legislature briefly descended into chaos on Monday, as proceedings in the House were disrupted by large protests and at least one Republican representative called immigration … Continue reading →

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ACLU joins first “sanctuary cities” lawsuit

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The ACLU of Texas and the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project have joined the lawsuit challenging Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4), which demands that local governments and their employees engage in federal immigration enforcement practices. The case, City … Continue reading →

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El Paso files “sanctuary cities” lawsuit

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Two and counting, as El Paso gets in on the anti-SB4 action. The lawsuit, filed by El Paso County, its Sheriff Richard Wiles and the Texas Organizing Project Education Fund, a client of the Texas Civil Rights Project, charges that … Continue reading →

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More “sanctuary cities” plaintiffs gearing up

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Local governments are not going down without a fight. On Tuesday, which organizers said was the beginning of a “summer of resistance,” Austin City Council member Delia Garza said the city will move this week to take formal action to … Continue reading →

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More “sanctuary cities” litigation in the works

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Coming soon. Civil rights groups vigorously opposed to Texas’s new anti-“sanctuary cities” law – which would allow the jailing of sheriffs and police chiefs if they refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities – expect to file within the next … Continue reading →

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Kinder Houston Area Survey 2017

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the press release. The majority of area residents don’t just feel okay about living in Houston – they would choose to stay in the Bayou City even if given a choice to move, according to the 2017 Kinder Houston … Continue reading →

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SB4 is what you get when you vote for Greg Abbott

Posted on May 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is me, shaking my head. Duque, who is Latina and Catholic, represents two constituencies Abbott courted during his campaign. The same constituencies strongly opposed the sanctuary cities ban, which Abbott made an emergency item in January and championed throughout … Continue reading →

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First anti-“sanctuary cities” lawsuit filed

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That was quick. Senate Bill 4 has drawn its first lawsuit. The League of United Latin American Citizens, Maverick County and the city of El Cenizo sued the state of Texas on Monday, claiming that SB 4 has failed to … Continue reading →

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Paxton gets ahead of the “sanctuary cities” lawsuit rush

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That’s one way to do it, I suppose. Attorney General Ken Paxton is looking to get ahead of an anticipated barrage of legal challenges to Texas’ ban on “sanctuary cities,” which takes effect Sept. 1. Shortly after Gov. Greg Abbott … Continue reading →

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Bathroom bills and business interests

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Monthly’s Dave Mann reviews the Republican schism over the bathroom bill and comes to the same conclusion as I have. At the moment, the Legislature—and the Republican party, for that matter—has settled into an uneasy stalemate between Patrick’s right-leaning … Continue reading →

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When will the lawsuits against the “sanctuary cities” bill begin to be filed?

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Soon. The question isn’t whether or not the Texas attorney general’s office will be hauled to court over a Texas Senate bill to ban “sanctuary” policies in Texas — but, more likely, when they’ll be asked to defend Senate bill … Continue reading →

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“Sanctuary cities” bill gets final passage

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s done. The Texas Senate on Wednesday voted 20-11 to accept the House’s version of Senate bill 4, legislation that would ban “sanctuary” jurisdictions in Texas and allow police to inquire about the immigration status of people they lawfully detain. … Continue reading →

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The SB4 protests

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I admire the hell out of this. At least two dozen protesters on the grounds of the Texas Capitol on Monday evening were charged with misdemeanor trespassing, the culmination of a day-long sit-in. The demonstration began around 10 a.m. Monday … Continue reading →

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Get ready for the “sanctuary cities” lawsuits

Posted on April 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s just a matter of time. Now that Senate Bill 4 is on its way to becoming law, opponents are looking to the courts for relief – and a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court case is giving them hope. The high … Continue reading →

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House passes its “sanctuary cities” bill

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Terrible. After more than 16 hours of debate, the Texas House of Representatives early Thursday morning tentatively gave a nod to the latest version of a Senate bill that would ban “sanctuary” jurisdictions in Texas. The 93-54 vote on second … Continue reading →

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Federal court blocks Trump “sanctuary cities” order

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge in San Francisco dealt the Trump administration another legal blow Tuesday, temporarily halting President Donald Trump’s threat to withhold federal funding from cities and towns that refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities. U.S. District Judge William … Continue reading →

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Texas Lyceum poll on immigration

Posted on April 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Our state has more nuanced views than you might think. The pollsters found that 62 percent of Texans said immigration helps the United States more than it hurts the country. That’s an increase from 2016, when 54 percent of the … Continue reading →

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Greg Abbott wants to kill off cities

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the only way to describe it. As state lawmakers gather for their biennial session this spring, they’re weighing whether to rein in localities that ban plastic grocery bags, extend civil rights protections to LGBTQ residents, discourage cooperation with federal … Continue reading →

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“Sanctuary cities” bill passes House committee

Posted on April 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Something like this is going to pass, it’s just a matter of what form it takes. A state House committee on Wednesday passed a “sanctuary cities” bill that is less harsh than the version passed by the Senate, but that … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over Muslim ban documents

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit [Wednesday] demanding government documents about the on-the-ground implementation of President Trump’s Muslim ban. Today’s action is part of a total of 13 … Continue reading →

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The Rodeo and the immigrants

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting story about who’s working the carnival midway. Why, you might wonder, is a South African working at the Houston rodeo’s midway? “The American workforce is not interested in this kind of work,” said Chris Lopez, vice president of carnival … Continue reading →

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Paxton stands by that Muslim ban

Posted on April 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Till the bitter end. Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday led a coalition of 13 states in filing a brief with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals defending President Donald Trump’s revised immigration order. In the brief, Paxton and … Continue reading →

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Harris County’s growth slows

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still growing, we just didn’t grow as fast last year as we had in previous years. After eight straight years of boom – adding more new residents than any county in the nation – Harris County in 2016 felt … Continue reading →

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The travel ban and the rural doctor shortage

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Just another unintended consequence. In Texas and across the country, foreign-trained doctors like the Iranian-born [Dr. Hossein] Yazdani fill a critical need in rural communities, which often struggle to attract physicians born and trained in the U.S. That reality has … Continue reading →

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“Sanctuary cities” bill modified by House committee

Posted on March 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s less bad than the Senate version, but it’s still not good. A Texas House committee on Wednesday began debate on the lower chamber’s version of the controversial proposal to outlaw “sanctuary” jurisdictions, making few but significant changes to the … Continue reading →

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“Texas lives on immigrant labor”

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ain’t that the truth. In Texas, an estimated 400,000 construction workers reside illegally, according to one study. If they were forced to leave the country, contractors say, state construction companies would face a difficult fallout, including higher labor costs, construction … Continue reading →

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Cutting ICE

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Another campaign promise gets fulfilled. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has ended a controversial partnership with federal immigration authorities that trained a team of county deputies to determine the immigration status of jailed suspects and hold those selected for deportation. … Continue reading →

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Deportation nation

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Appalling. The Trump administration on Tuesday moved one step closer to implementing the president’s plans to aggressively rid the country of undocumented immigrants and expand local police-based enforcement of border security operations. In a fact sheet outlining the efforts, the … Continue reading →

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Interview with Bill Kelly

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

You may have heard that the city of Houston has some legislative business to take care of this session. Most notably, the city wants to get a bill passed to implement its pension reform plans, which may or may not … Continue reading →

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The legal case against the “sanctuary cities” bill

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ken Paxton says that the so-called “sanctuary cities” bill meets legal muster, and the state won’t get sued to smithereens if it passes. Not all lawyers agree with that. The office of the Texas Attorney General can no better predict … Continue reading →

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Paxton files brief in favor of Muslim ban

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Because of course he does. Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an amicus brief Wednesday expressing his support of President Donald Trump’s travel ban, effectively becoming the first state attorney general to back the controversial executive order. Under the executive order, … Continue reading →

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Houston’s tourism business

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

People like to spend money here. In particular, people from Mexico like to spend money here. Mexicans are the largest group of international tourists who visit Houston – and recently, their numbers have grown. In 2015, Houston received 2.5 million … Continue reading →

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“Sanctuary cities” bill passes in Senate

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. The Texas Senate late Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a controversial immigration measure to ban “sanctuary” jurisdictions in the state. Senate Bill 4, filed by state Sen. Charles Perry, would punish local and state government entities and college … Continue reading →

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