North Texas officials react to sanctuary city ban

The fallout began Monday after Gov. Greg Abbott signed a ban on so-called sanctuary cities on Sunday.

"Texans expect us to keep them safe. That is exactly what we're going to do by me signing this law,” said Gov. Abbott on Sunday, in a surprise Facebook Live broadcast where he signed the bill.

Local officials had mixed reactions to the sweeping legislation, which legal experts believe is likely to wind up challenged in court.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins believes Senate Bill 4 puts politics before public safety.

“I think the fact that they had to do it under the cover of darkness with no warning on a Sunday night giving you a feeling about the way the people of Texas feel about this stupid law,” Jenkins said. “The biggest problem with this bill is that we now cannot set our own local law enforcement priorities as far as telling our officers not to ask those questions about papers and status until a person is arrested.”

Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, who has been very vocal on the issue of immigration in the past, declined to speak an on-camera at the suggestion of her legal team.

But DCSO did issue a statement that reads in part: “We hope that the passing of Senate Bill 4 won't damage our existing relationship with the citizens of Dallas County. Our department does not want the community to doubt local law enforcement and not report crimes due to fear. “

Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn doesn't think it will.

“I'm fine with it because it doesn't change the way we've conducted business,” Waybourn said.

Waybourn, who supports Abbott's decision, insists his deputies will not be randomly asking people for ID for minor infractions such things as traffic stops. He believes the bill protects Texans.

“I think there had been an outcry of sanctuary cities and criminals who are back out on the street that should've been deported out amongst us. So from that perspective, I think it's exactly what the people of Texas wanted and the think the politicians responded to that,” Waybourn said.

Attorney General Ken Paxton said Monday he filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to uphold the constitutionality of Senate Bill 4.