Greg Abbott

Travis County Sheriff May Soften ‘Sanctuary Cities' Stance

A Texas sheriff whose state funding was halted in a "sanctuary cities" standoff may be softening her stance.

Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez has refused to comply with some federal immigration detainers in Austin jails. Gov. Greg Abbott responded by blocking $1.5 million in funding.

But Hernandez now tells the Austin American Statesman that she'll review detainer requests case-by-case.

Federal authorities issue detainers for jailed immigrants accused of being in the country illegally. Hernandez opposes potential deportation for minor offenses and originally only planned to honor detainers for four serious charges, including murder.

She'll now plan to comply on more than just those four charges, though.

That follows Hernandez's staff not initially granting a detainer for a man accused of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl, though he wasn't freed.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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