Under SB 4, anyone caught crossing the Texas border illegally could be arrested by local police instead of federal agents, as has long been the law.has been tumultuous. Although signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in December, so far, the bill’s circuitous route has yet to result in a law the state can enforce. And this week, powerful courts have exchanged decisions that have been both in favor of the state’s efforts and against them.
“It is the mission of the Fort Worth Police Department to serve every member of our community, and our day-to-day commitment to that mission will not change with the passage of Senate Bill 4,” the statement read. “Although we will always follow the law, the primary responsibility for immigration enforcement and border protection should be left to our federal and state partners.
The city’s police force view is a far cry from how the county sheriff sees things. Prior to the 5th Circuit decision late Tuesday night, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn“Texans are frustrated with the continued onslaught of illegal entry into this country and the federal government’s unwillingness to act,” the X post read. “SB 4 is a tool for Texas law enforcement along the border to detain anyone they see crossing into the country illegally.
When reached for further comment on its SB 4 stance, a representative for the Fort Worth Police Department avoided our specific questions while providing a short comment. We asked why the department felt the need to issue a statement that seemingly went against the state government and whether the statement meant the department would not attempt to enforce the law. Instead, we got a quote from a Tuesday night department tweet.