By The Opinion
The Texas government intensified its actions against cities that have established limits on collaboration between local police and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE), in a scenario marked by the increase in migrant arrests in the country.
One of the most recent movements comes from the prosecutor in style Ken Paxton who initiated an investigation directed at Austin after the implementation of guidelines that regulate police action facing administrative immigration requests.
At the same time, in Houston The continuity of similar policies is analyzed, after the governor Greg Abbott warned of withdrawing more than $100 million in state funds.
Local rules under scrutiny
The measures adopted by both cities establish limits on how and when officers can extend a stopas in the case of traffic stops, with the aim of preventing them from being prolonged solely to facilitate the intervention of immigration authorities.
They also set restrictions on cooperation with ICE when it comes to people subject to administrative orders, a type of notification issued when there is suspicion of irregular stay in the country.
Criticisms from the sincere field
Lawyers and civil organizations maintain that these provisions are not only legal, but that they reinforce constitutional rights.
Caro Rivera Nelson, attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Texas, He explained that the guidelines align with the Fourth Amendment, which protects against arbitrary arrests.
“The administrative order is not sufficient to detain someone. An order signed by a judge is needed,” he pointed out.
The lawyer also warned that the state government’s actions seek to confuse the boundaries between different types of orders, which could lead to practices contrary to the law. He also questioned threats to withdraw public funding, considering that they could affect more cities.
Concern in migrant communities
From community organizations, the focus is on the consequences that these policies have on trust in the police.
César Espinosa, director of the NGO FIEL Houstonindicated that the guidelines seek to prevent residents from associating local authorities with federal immigration operations.
“If people confuse local police with the federal government, they will not trust officers as victims or witnesses of crimes,” he explained.
According to Espinosa, in different communities it is reported that the police presence during traffic stops generates fear, since many residents believe that they are actions linked to ICE.
Increase in arrests nationwide
The conflict in Texas occurs in parallel to a significant increase in migrant arrests in the United States.
According to reports from the Deportation Data Project of the University of California in Berkeley indicate that arrests of people without criminal records grew by 770%, while arrests in public spaces exceeded 1,000% during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Keep reading:
- Controversy in New York over Kathy Hochul’s proposal that would allow police cooperation with ICE
- France requests the release of an 86-year-old widow detained by ICE in Louisiana
- Deaths in ICE detention centers reach record numbers under Trump, says Todd Lyons
- Arrest warrant issued for Greg Morgan, ICE agent, accused of pointing his gun at a driver in Minnesota
- Archdiocese of Miami criticizes $11 million cut to Catholic Charities for migrant minors
