Houston, State Cops Have Similar Immigrant Policy
Even before he entered the race for governor, Democrat Bill White faced attacks for running a “sanctuary city" as mayor of Houston, where officers don't inquire about immigration status during routine patrols and investigations.
In early December, the Republican Party of Texas posted a web ad that asked, “Like Sanctuary Cities? White’s Houston was one.” The charge again cropped up in a leaked February memo from Dave Carney, an adviser to Gov. Rick Perry's campaign, that defined White as “a big-city trial lawyer, anti-gun, sanctuary-city-promoting, Clinton protégé DC politician." Since then, Perry spokesman Mark Miner has ...
Comments (23)
Annabelle Hite via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Houston is different than other cities in Texas. So different that some of us Texans don't even like to for our cities to be compared to Houston. Houston sucks big time!
Dave MacDonald via Texas Tribune on Facebook
with the estimated 1.2 million illegals in Texas, I would certainly consider it a sanctuary state. I doubt the state and its government has the will to do anything about it though. There is law on the books requiring employers to check the legality of employees via online programs, however it is not enforced, and many employers just don't bother.
Cynthia Casper Robertson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Annabelle, Houston does not suck. Were it not for the Houston economy, this state would collapse. It's the only city in this state that acts/seems cosmopolitan. What sucks in Texas is Governor Perry.
Heather Matthews Camfield via Texas Tribune on Facebook
ditto cynthia!
Ken Ellis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Well, Annabelle, if anyone is an expert on cities that suck, it would be someone hailing from Dallas. (Gotta keep that I45 rivalry going, right?)
Antonio Arias via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Houston has it's GREAT points, not the least of which is it's Medical Industry. But the fact remains, it IS a sanctuary city, and there's A LOT of neighborhoods that Houstonians would never dare go to. It's an INCREDIBLY VIOLENT city. Even more so due to Katrina, and a lot of Louisiana criminals that emigrated there. I've NEVER had that feeling in Austin.
Anytime Austinites talk about the future, without fail, everyone always says "I hope we don't become like Houston." Sorry Cynthia!
Aldo Merino via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Whether Houston is or isn't a sanctuary state is a sideline discussion on semantics that's only relevant to the Perry campaign in their attempts to excite his base and take advantage of the publicity provided by the Arizona law's passage. It's clear the campaign is trying to have it both ways: distance Perry from the law itself in broad terms, but agree with the underlying premise. In other words, bring out the Tea Party crowds, but not too forcefully lest the Texas Latino population gets fired up to come out and vote for White come November. It's not a strong issue for Perry, but he's more than welcome to play with fire.
If illegal immigration from Mexico is a problem, crack down on employers who hire illegals and tank the Texas economy. It'll slow down to a trickle (or more likely, just go to other states). If anti-immigration groups want to really slow it further, just provide support for the strengthening of the Mexican economy. Illegal immigration is strongly correlated with economic growth opportunity. It's already slowed dramatically since the recession.
I have absolutely no interest in wasting tax payer dollars and police officers' time by requiring them to perform immigration checks.
And as an aside, as a long time resident of the city, the word 'cosmopolitan' is hardly a word I would associate with Houston.
mechanicalculture
Good piece, Hamilton and Stiles! And thanks for providing "Reference Material" -- A+
Antonio Arias via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Hey David: Please read up on gang violence and it's impact on Houston, after Katrina. (The increase in criminality, the overwhelmed police, etc). How sad that anytime somebody worries about a law-enforcement problem, some ignorant bleeding-heart jerk like you has to come out with accusations of racism. I am a hispanic who's family is part black. So kiss my ass, David.
Lisa Dodson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
don't drink the kool-aid...yes gangs are a problem, but if you look at the vast majority of crimes, they do not involve gang members, they just involve straight up crooks.
Antonio Arias via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Wrong Lisa. Violent crime there is VASTLY related to drug networks, and Houston was a refuge for Louisiana drug-networks. Do ya'll not READ the stats?!?
Mary Lynn VanZandt Neill via Texas Tribune on Facebook
"Texas,our Texas,All Hail The Mighty State,Texas, Our Texas,so Wonderful so Great....."~see the remarks above.God,I LOVE TEXAS!!!!!!Bless All Our L'il Hearts,Y'all!!!
Mary Lynn VanZandt Neill via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Oh,BTWay, let the rear kissing commence~free speech living and well,at least we're still unafraid,unbowed,and proud.
Cynthia Casper Robertson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@ Antonio Arias -- no need to apologize. I live in Austin and have lived in both Houston and Dallas, as well. Austin will never "become Houston" because (a) I would not consider Austin a city. It has a "town" mentality which the Keep Austin Weird (which equates to mediocre in my estimation) bunch cultivates and is very "unsophisticated". You need look no further than the worn out 50 something hippy bunch to realize that. And (b) Austin is not and never will be cosmopolitan nor an international hub of industry (see A above).
Houston is both a sophisticated city and an international hub of industry neither of which Austin will ever be. Austin has an overall pall of immaturity about it which the folks here readily cultivate. No comparison.
Whenever my son went to high school there there were 57 languages spoken in his freshman class of 700 students. You will find nothing of that sort here. Austin is far more homogeneous than Houston ever will be or Dallas for that matter. Your comparison is ridiculous. It's like comparing apples to oranges.
Patsy Roggenbuck via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I prefer the city of Austin to that of Houston. (not apologizing)
Antonio Arias via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Well, Cynthia, I guess you certainly told ME. Austin is immature and unsophisticated, and will never be cosmopolitan. THANK GOD FOR THAT! I'm super-happy here with my barefoot tattooed friends, who have long hair, and who do witchcraft and Pagan rituals. And that "worn-out 50-something hippie bunch" goes by other names, such as, "bad-ass club managers, studio managers and club promoters", "Druidic Priests of the high Orders", "millionaire rock & roll stars", "millionaire small-business owners" and "every other type of cool motherfucker, that isn't a square from Houston." Speaking of the worn out hippie bunch, I gotta let you go, Cynthia, because I gotta go jam with some of them. Then we're gonna cook salmon and bison, and make fun of Houston squares. If you get bored, send me a message with your digits, and you can come over and party with us. Cheers!
Antonio Arias via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Patsy: YOU know where it's at, baby!
TexanMary
What a horribly biased story. It's obvious you went in to this story with the perception (even if not consciously) that a sanctuary city is a bad thing. It's not. I love that Texas isn't Arizona. I love that Texas law enforcement doesn't enforce immigration laws. That's not their job. I would hate to prove my citizenship simply because of the way I look or speak. It's the one thing Perry has done right. Let's not make this a race about who can be the most xenophobic.
Christopher Keeble via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Austin vs. Houston.
Ricky Perry lives in Austin.
Bill White lives in Houston.
Until that's remedied, Houston wins.
Antonio Arias via Texas Tribune on Facebook
But Perry's got good hair. Good hair figures well at the polls. Austin wins.
Kristen Young
Great piece. Forgot to identify Katy Bacon on first reference, though. Still, awesome job.
Matt Stiles
Thanks, Kristen. We fixed the error.
WUSRPH
Why isn't our beloved attorney general suing the DPS?