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Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez has released a letter in a day after comments Governor Greg Abbott made in an interview with "FOX & Friends" concerning her policy on sanctuary cities.
Discussing his ongoing battle with Sheriff Hernandez, Abbott said Hernandez will lose her job unless she reverses plans to stop honoring all federal immigration detainers in her jail starting in February. Abbott has already said he will immediately withhold state grant dollars.
The Associated Press says that Abbott doesn't have the power to remove local officials. But Texas Republicans have filed multiple bills that would punish local governments for not arresting or detaining immigrants living in the country illegally.
Sheriff Hernandez released a statement on 1/26 saying:
"I respect the job of our state leaders, but I will not allow fear and misinformation to be my guiding principles as a leader sworn to protect this community. I am following all state and federal laws, and upholding constitutional rights to due process for all in our criminal justice system. Our community is safer when people can report crimes without fear of deportation. I trust the court system and our judges to assess the risks and set appropriate bonds and conditions for all who are incarcerated. The voters, who elected state leaders and me, expect and deserve a collaborative effort to come up with solutions to this very complex issue. That is precisely what I'm committed to."