What’s that?

Obey the law.

From Breitbart.com:

Texas House Passes Bill to Jail ‘Sanctuary’ Sheriffs, Police Chiefs

by Bob Price

The Texas House passed a tough anti-sanctuary bill containing provisions making it a crime for sheriffs and chiefs of police to refuse to cooperate with immigration officials. They could also be removed from office for providing “sanctuary” for the criminal illegal aliens in their jails.

How did this come to be such an issue? Predominantly when Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez (D) proclaimed her jurisdiction lawless insofar as her nestling arms became a sanctuary for illegal aliens, mostly from Mexico. Straw, meet camel’s back. Shake hands and come out legislating. So Texas did.

Senate Bill 4 finally passed the Texas House Thursday afternoon by a vote of 94-53 along party lines.

Following the bill’s final passage in the House, the Texas House Republican Caucus sent out a statement saying the bill ensure federal immigration laws that are on the books will be followed and enforced in Texas. The caucus stated the bill prevents local entities from creating policies that threaten public safety.

“The purpose of this legislation is to protect Texans from criminals who are here illegally. We are trying to make sure those bad actors are detained until we can determine their status, ” said House Administration Committee Chairman Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth). “This bill will not affect law abiding citizens, only those that are in trouble with the police.”

Of particular gall to Leftists and lawbreakers is this aspect of SB4, which provides penalties for those in law enforcement who fail to comply.

Caucus Chairman Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), said, “House Republicans have proven time and time again that we are committed to protecting the rule of law and keeping our communities safe. We will continue to work tirelessly to pass legislation that ensures the safety of Texans, such as Senate Bill 4.”

The crime imposed would be a Class A misdemeanor for not complying with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers.

The measure was passed by the Texas Senate in early February.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has steadfastly said that he would sign the bill and has pushed for its passage. It would go into effect on September 1.

So what was happening in Travis County at the behest of and with the support of Sheriff Sally Hernandez? From the TexasTribune.com:

Report: Travis County released dozens of undocumented inmates wanted by feds

by Julian Aguilar

Travis County officials declined dozens of requests from federal immigration agents to hold inmates in the days leading up to the county’s recent showdown with Gov. Greg Abbott over its new “sanctuary” policy.

And people say law enforcement isn’t politicized? Locally? Federally? Alphabet agencies?

The White House’s first-ever report on local governments that don’t cooperate with federal immigration agents shows Travis County officials declined dozens of requests to hold inmates in the days leading up to the county’s recent showdown with Gov. Greg Abbott.

Between Jan. 28 and Feb. 3, Travis County sheriff deputies declined more than 140 requests – known as detainers – from Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to hand over undocumented immigrants for possible deportation, according to the report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Travis County was far and away the Texas leader in declining ICE detainers, according to the report, which mentioned only two other Texas counties. Williamson County declined four recent detainers and Bastrop County declined three.

Last month, Abbott pulled state grant funding for Travis County programs after Sheriff Sally Hernandez, a Democrat, said after her 2016 election victory that she would only honor detainer requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on a limited basis.

This is Sheriff Sally “Sanctuary Sally” Hernandez. She thinks the law is flexible and only a mere suggestion or hint.

Isn’t it odd that all the law enforcement officials who take the greatest umbrage to the enforcement of laws on the books and cooperation with federal law enforcement all have Mexican last names? I don’t see, for example, very many officials with the last name of “Martin” or “Washington” or “Vang” or “St George” or “Jackson” or “Nguyen.” I wonder why that might be?

Sheriff Sally Hernandez. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. Sheriff Lupe Valdez. Chief Art Acevedo. Anyone besides me start to sense something of a theme here?

Yet: a recent poll reveals that Texans overwhelmingly support (by 93 percent), a police officer being able to check a person’s immigration status when they are arrested for a crime.

What is it with law enforcement in Leftist cities and some courts who seem to think the law does not apply to them, and that they may either selectively choose to flaunt it entirely or interpret it in a fashion that is not in keeping with precedent or the letter of the law itself?

What happens to a nation when those tasked with upholding the law are now those who break the very statutes they are sworn to obey?

What, then, becomes the true purpose of law enforcement or the judiciary?

To pick and choose? To tick off boxes on a sheet as if you were ordering a sandwich? “I’ll have ham but no pickles”?

“I’ll enforce rape laws but I won’t enforce drug laws or those having to do with illegal aliens”?

Gonzalez reportedly told those gathered at the rally that Senate Bill 4 will make local communities more dangerous and is bad public policy.

Bad for illegal Mexicans. Bad for illegal aliens. Bad for breakers of our laws.

When the enforcers of our laws decide which laws they will selectively enforce, how long will it be before the populace decides which laws it will obey?

Oh, right. That’s happening already, albeit on a smaller scale. I’m suggesting a national scale. A scale far, far beyond that of any law enforcement response. You are pushing, Leftists, for a Second Civil War.

What happens when citizens individually — like the government — arbitrarily decide what laws they will or will not obey? Then en masse?

I am watching American law enforcement disintegrate right before my very eyes. These so-called “law enforcement officers” dishonor their oaths and dishonor myself and those who put in years of service to our communities. They dishonor those who fought and died behind those laws and for those laws, from the soldier to the beat cop.

If you don’t care for laws, stay out of law enforcement.

But that would be too judgmental now, wouldn’t it?

BZ