ACLU Warns That Travel to Texas "May Result in Violation of Constitutional Rights"
The American Civil Liberties Union has issued a "travel warning" for anyone planning on coming to Texas in the near future, all thanks to a new law that critics say will lead to racial profiling by police.
If the courts don't block it first, the law, which is set to go into effect September 1, would allow any law enforcement officer in the state to ask about immigration status in any routine police encounter. The law will force local agencies like the San Antonio Police Department to rescind internal policies prohibiting officers from asking about a person's immigration status. Big-city police officials across the state, like SAPD Chief William McManus, say the bill is a disaster, will push immigrants into the shadows, discourage people from reporting crimes and make law enforcement in diverse communities much more difficult.
"There's nothing positive that this bill does in the community or in law enforcement," McManus said at a Monday press conference after Gov. Greg Abbott signed his crackdown on "sanctuary cities" into law this weekend. "Austin didn't seem to want to listen to its law enforcement leaders across the state. And that, to me, is troubling."
http://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2017/05/09/aclu-warns-that-travel-to-texas-may-result-in-violation-of-constitutional-rights