Retired Fort Worth Deputy Chief defends officer's video to immigrants

A retired Fort Worth Deputy Chief is supporting the officer who got in some hot water with the city after posting a Facebook message to the Hispanic community.

That video, which was not authorized by the department, went viral.

Officer Daniel Segura, from his patrol car, tried to calm illegal immigrants by telling them officers would not be seeking them out to determine their immigration status.

Martin Salinas retired from the Fort Worth Police Department after three decades.

He says he can vouch for everything he heard in the nearly 6 minute viral video by officer Segura.

"The officer's statement on that video is exactly what we've been doing for the last 30 years," said Salinas.

Salinas says Fort Worth officers have never gone out looking for illegal immigrants to arrest, and that Segura was right to try and calm fears in the Hispanic community.

That was the message Segura tried to convey in his video, which now has more than 1.2 million views.

A statement from the Fort Worth Mayor and Police Chief said it enforces all laws and is not a sanctuary city

The concern follows an executive order by President Trump targeting sanctuary cities and a proposal approved by a Texas Senate panel to withhold grant funding from local jurisdictions that don't hand over immigrants already in custody for possible deportation.

Supporters say it will impose the rule of law.

Fort Worth Police say Segura will not face any discipline for posting the video.