In a clear stance against federal immigration enforcement, Austin, Texas' Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes has announced that the city's police force will not assist ICE in deporting illegal aliens, including those with criminal backgrounds. This decision comes in response to recent "enhanced targeted operations" in Austin, sparking a debate on local versus federal authority over immigration law.
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Infowars.com: The mayor of Austin, Texas, says local police will not be assisting federal authorities attempting to deport criminal illegal aliens endangering the community.
In comments to the media Tuesday, Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes confirmed Austin PD wouldn’t work with federal ICE agents who carried out “enhanced targeted operations” in Austin over the weekend.
“Over this weekend we’ve received a lot of feedback from our community,” Fuentes told KXAN. “We have a lot of members that are scared right now with the extent of ICE being and operating in the Austin area and to what extent that impact will have on our immigrant community.”
Fuentes went on to note she’s “proud” the city’s police chief affirmed “that Austin police have not and will not enforce any federal civil immigration.”
“That is [an] important thing for Austinites to know that our local police officers are going to be doing what they do best, which is focus on solving crime versus doing these type of ICE raids or round-ups.”
The mayor pro tem went on to reveal city leaders are focused on “ramping up know your rights trainings and workshops” aimed at educating illegals on ways to potentially resist deportation efforts.
In the past, such guidance – released in 2017 by then-Austin District 4 city council rep-turned-US Rep. Gregorio Casar (D) – has taught illegals to refuse to open doors, record interactions and “fight back” legally in order to subvert federal raids.
Responding to KXAN regarding raids on Sunday, an ICE spokesman noted, “[ICE], along with federal partners including the DEA and ATF began conducting enhanced targeted operations today in Austin to enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities.”
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis also said she contacted federal agents on Sunday to learn more about the raids and was told they targeted “wanted violent offenders,” adding that “at the end of the day, these are people APD would be looking for as well. They were wanted for violent offenses.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan has made it clear elected representatives who defy the deportation effort would be committing felonies under US law if they obstruct federal officials.
“Well first of all, if they don’t want to help us, get the hell out of the way, we’re going to do it,” Homan told Fox News last November following Trump’s reelection victory.
Up-to-date Knowledge About the Topic:
- Local Policy: Vanessa Fuentes has publicly stated that Austin PD will not participate in ICE's enforcement actions, emphasizing community safety and rights over aiding in federal immigration operations. This policy aligns with previous Austin initiatives, like those from Gregorio Casar, aimed at protecting immigrants from deportation through education on legal rights.
- Community Response: There's significant fear within Austin's immigrant community due to these operations, prompting city leaders to focus on "know your rights" workshops to educate residents on how to respond to ICE activities.
- Federal Reaction: ICE, along with other federal agencies like the DEA and ATF, conducted operations targeting "wanted violent offenders" in Austin. Despite this, ICE and local police maintain different priorities, with APD focusing on local crime rather than immigration enforcement.
- Legal Implications: Tom Homan, known as Trump's border czar, has warned that obstructing federal immigration enforcement could be considered a felony under U.S. law, specifically referencing Title 8 U.S.C. § 1324 which criminalizes harboring illegal aliens. His comments suggest a potential conflict between local sanctuary policies and federal law enforcement.
- Political Context: This situation reflects broader tensions between sanctuary city policies and the federal government's immigration enforcement agenda under President Trump's administration. The assertion by local officials not to cooperate with ICE has been a point of contention, especially in light of Trump's policies aimed at mass deportations.
- Media and Public Debate: The issue has been covered by local media like KXAN, and discussed on social platforms, highlighting the divide in public opinion regarding immigration enforcement, local autonomy, and community safety.
This scenario underscores the ongoing debate about the role of local law enforcement in federal immigration matters, the balance between community trust and national security, and the legal ramifications for local officials who choose not to assist federal agents.