Texas SB 4 Bans Sanctuary Policies Statewide

Government Code Chapter 752 forbids local entities and campus police departments from limiting enforcement of immigration laws, prohibiting officers from asking about immigration status, or refusing to honor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer requests. Sheriffs, chiefs, and constables who knowingly fail to comply face removal from office under Local Government Code Chapter 87. The Attorney General may seek civil penalties of $1,000 to $1,500 for a first violation and up to $25,500 per day for subsequent violations. The U.S. Fifth Circuit largely upheld SB 4 in City of El Cenizo v. Texas (2018). Local jurisdictions cannot opt out.

First-violation civil penalties run $1,000 to $1,500; subsequent violations up to $25,500 per day. Officials who knowingly violate also face removal from office and Class A misdemeanor charges under Penal Code 39.07.