What San Antonio police say about working with ICE
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Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
The San Antonio Police Department tells Axios it will keep cooperating with federal immigration authorities as enforcement ramps up under President Trump.
Why it matters: Some police departments across the country say they'll resist Trump's plans for mass deportations. But the scene is different in Texas, where so-called "sanctuary cities" have been banned for years.
- About 80,000 people who live in Bexar County are undocumented, per the Migration Policy Institute.
Zoom in: The San Antonio Police Department will continue to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement, spokesperson Camelia Juarez tells Axios.
- "Given that some of the contemplated enforcement actions have never been attempted, the city's participation in any enforcement activity will be facilitated by effective communication and planning with federal authorities," she said in an email.
Flashback: Gov. Greg Abbott in 2017 signed a law banning sanctuary cities and requiring local governments and police to comply with federal immigration authorities. The law requires that police honor "detainers," or requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for local police to hold for an extended period immigrants who have been arrested on criminal charges.
- In 2018, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the City of San Antonio, accusing local officials of violating that law. Paxton said local police released from custody 12 people suspected of crossing the border illegally without turning them over to ICE.
- City officials maintained that ICE did not respond quickly or with resources or a plan to process and transport people.
- In 2022, the city settled with Paxton for $300,000 but did not admit fault.
What they're saying: "San Antonio doesn't fit under the common conception of a sanctuary city," Mayor Ron Nirenberg told KSAT last week. "But San Antonio maintains its status as a compassionate community."
- "We're making sure people have the correct information, they know their rights, and that we're cooperating with law enforcement — but we're also making sure people are honored with their due process," Nirenberg said.