On Thursday, January 25, Texas governor Greg Abbott announced a flagrantly unconstitutional proposal to “remove from office any officeholder who promotes sanctuary cities”. His declaration was immediately endorsed by the Attorney General of Texas and all 20 Republican state senators. Abbot’s threat is aimed in particular at Travis County (Austin) sheriff Sally Hernandez. The day of Trump’s inauguration Hernandez said she would “reduce cooperation” with federal authorities who want her department to hold people jailed on minor crimes until their immigration status is checked. Abbott, a Christian fundamentalist and enthusiastic Trump supporter, is making a classic move from the fascist playbook – attacking and threatening to prosecute opponents, while paving the way to ferocious repression of immigrants.
