A state judge has pitched out key parts of a lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleging San Antonio hindered federal immigration authorities during a 2017 human-smuggling bust, the Express-News reports.
Paxton’s suit against the city alleges Police Chief William McManus and others hampered the feds’ enforcement efforts by releasing 12 people suspected of being in the country illegally. SAPD released the individuals after responding to a call about an 18-wheeler suspected of smuggling migrants into the country. They did, however, arrest the rig’s driver.
The suit, filed in November, was the first filed since the passage of Texas Senate Bill 4, a controversial measure meant to punish so-called “sanctuary cities.”
Earlier this month, State District Judge Tim Sulak threw out several of Paxton’s claim, saying portions of SB 4 were not enforceable because of a temporary block by federal courts, according to the Express-News. However, Sulak will continue to hear whether San Antonio has a city policy of refusing to cooperate with immigration authorities.
“It’s a strong development for us,” City Attorney Andy Segovia told the Express-News about the dismissal. “It doesn’t resolve it completely, but it’s good momentum.”
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This article appears in Jul 3-16, 2019.
