Civil and Human Rights Coalition Lauds Federal Injunction on Texas’ Anti-Immigrant S.B. 4

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after a federal district court issued a preliminary injunction to halt, for now, most of Texas Senate Bill 4 (S.B. 4), which was scheduled to go into effect on September 1:

“This is a victory for immigrant communities in Texas and for anyone who stands for the American values of freedom, justice, and opportunity. Immigration enforcement is, and must be, the responsibility of the federal government. Even before it went into effect, the prospect of this heinous law already caused deep distrust between immigrant communities and the law enforcement officials sworn to protect the public. S.B. 4 would lead to increased racial profiling of those who appeared to be undocumented, even if they were citizens or legally present. That’s why police chiefs, mayors, and cities across the state of Texas opposed this bill.

At a time when the nation is grappling with issues of racism and bigotry and condemning efforts supported by white supremacists and the so-called ‘alt-right,’ measures like S.B. 4 must be stopped. This injunction only further demonstrates the need for a strong, independent judiciary beholden only to the rule of law. We stand arm in arm with those who seek to end this unjust law, and are confident that an independent judiciary will strike it down.”

Gupta had previously signed an affidavit against S.B. 4. That document is available here.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.