By State Rep. Ken Paxton
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Currently a city may adopt policies commonly referred to as Sanctuary City policies that prohibit local law enforcement from inquiring about a persons immigration status. The Texas House of Representatives passed House Bill 12 this week to eliminate Sanctuary Cities in Texas finally putting an end to these safety zones that allow illegal immigrants who commit crimes to have free reign in our State.
These policies may also prohibit the sharing of information regarding a persons immigration status with the federal government.
House Bill 12 would prevent cities counties and other governmental entities from adopting policies that prohibit law enforcement from asking a person legally detained or arrested his/her immigration status.
The House also passed House Bill 875 this week which requires law enforcement departments in Texas to make a reasonable effort to immediately verify citizenship of defendants who are in a correctional facility awaiting trial for a
felony or intoxication offense.
Currently some law enforcement departments in Texas verify citizenship status but others do not. This creates a problem for Texans because first-time and repeat offenders who are not in the United States legally are being released to continue their criminal activity.
If legal status is verified when a defendant is arrested federal immigration laws can be enforced.
With the surge in violence along the border and the relocation of drug cartel members into Texas communities the Legislature has an obligation to pass measures that protect our States citizens.
Sanctuary jobs and entitlement benefits are magnets that draw criminal illegal aliens to Texas. Many Texans including police officers would be alive today if policies at the state county and local governments required law enforcement officers to determine legal status and enforce federal immigration laws.
House Bill 12 and House Bill 875 serve as an excellent starting point for curbing illegal immigration and protecting the safety of Texas citizens.
Representative Ken Paxton was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2002 and is currently in his 4th term 
representing District 70. Paxton received his BA & MBA from Baylor University and also earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. He and his wife Angela live in McKinney TX and have 4 children.
