Travis County Denied Bulk of Nation's Immigrant Detainer Requests, Fueling Sanctuary Cities Debate

AUSTIN — During a one-week period, Travis County denied the most federal immigration requests of anywhere in the country, according to a report issued Monday, adding more fuel to the debate around sanctuary cities. The Department of Homeland Security report detailed 206 federal immigration detainers that local entities denied during the week from Jan. 28 to Feb 3. Travis County declined 142 requests to hold unauthorized immigrants — about 69 percent.The report was the first of weekly updates that President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration requires.Gov. Greg Abbott has cracked down hard on Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez for enacting sanctuary city policies, which limit cooperation with immigration authorities and restrict law enforcement officers' ability to ask about a person's immigration status. Abbott seized on the report Monday to advance his argument.   Continue reading...