Mexico Argues Texas Immigration Law Will Harm Relations

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AMERICAS

Mexico Argues Texas Immigration Law Will Harm Relations

October 20, 2017 3:21 PM

Aline Barros

A Texas law banning sanctuary cities would harm diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Mexico, Mexico argues in a brief submitted to the appeals court reviewing the law.

The brief, filed Thursday with the Fifth District Court of Appeals in New Orleans, says whenever state or local officials act improperly in upholding the sanctuary law, the U.S. federal government would be unable to resolve the problem or prevent similar ones. Thus it runs the risk "that actions of a state or its officials regarding immigration enforcement could irreparably damage U.S. foreign policy interests with respect to a particular country."

Texas' sanctuary law, known as SB 4, may be the toughest in the country. In addition to banning sanctuary cities — jurisdictions that choose not to comply with federal immigration enforcement — it allows local law enforcement officers to question the immigration status of people they detain or arrest.