ACLU of Kansas Issues Texas Travel Advisory
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2017
CONTACT: Amie Young, communications and events manager, 913-490-4105, [email protected]
OVERLAND PARK, KS - The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas issued a "travel alert" today informing anyone planning to travel to Texas in the near future to anticipate the possible violation of their constitutional rights when stopped by law enforcement.
The alert comes amid the passing of a Texas law known as SB4. The law gives a green light to police officers in the state to investigate a person's immigration status during a routine traffic stop, leading to widespread racial profiling, baseless scrutiny, and illegal arrests of citizens and non-citizens alike presumed to be "foreign" based on how they look or sound. The travel alert applies to all travelers to Texas, including U.S. travelers from other states and U.S. citizens. In addition, this alert applies to all encounters with federal, state, and county law enforcement, including local police and sheriffs.
"The ACLU's goal is to protect all Texans and all people traveling through Texas, regardless of their immigration status, from illegal harassment by law enforcement," said Lorella Praeli, ACLU director of immigration policy and campaigns. "Texas is a state with deep Mexican roots and home to immigrants from all walks of life. Many of us fit the racial profile that the police in Texas will use to enforce Trump's draconian deportation force."
SB4 requires Texas law enforcement to comply with the federal government's constitutionally flawed use of detainer requests, which ask local law enforcement to hold people for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), even when they lack the legal authority to do so.
"The passage of SB4 in Texas is a textbook example of the growing problem that exists in this country of state governments forcing law enforcement agencies to act outside of their authority to discriminate against people of color and marginalized communities," said Micah W. Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas. "The ACLU will continue to fight these unconstitutional and regressive policies every step of the way, and we will ensure that similar laws don't stand a chance of being adopted in Kansas."
Between 2008 and 2012, ICE requested local law enforcement to hold 834 U.S. citizens, some of whom subsequently spent days in jail as a result. Under SB4, the state of Texas is placing the rights of its residents, including U.S. citizens, in jeopardy.
Praeli said, "Everyone has constitutional rights in this country. The state of Texas, and every law enforcement officer, must respect those rights. The ACLU stands ready to safeguard those freedoms against those who seek to diminish them."
ACLU Nationwide and other state affiliates also issued a Texas travel alert. These include: California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
SB4 will go into effect on September 1, 2017. However, the ACLU is concerned that some law enforcement officers may begin to treat residents and travelers unfairly now. If you believe your rights have been violated because of SB4, please contact the ACLU of Texas at 1-888-507-2970.
ACLU "Know your Rights" materials are available in a variety of languages here: www.aclu.org/know-your-rights
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About the ACLU of Kansas: The ACLU of Kansas is a statewide affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU of Kansas is dedicated to preserving and advancing the civil rights and legal freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. For more information, visit our website at www.aclukansas.org.