AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the San Antonio police chief for what he says are violations of the state’s immigration law targeting “sanctuary cities.”
Paxton accuses Chief William McManus in a lawsuit Friday of violating the law when he refused to turn over migrants in a human smuggling case to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. McManus released the migrants instead.
McManus and several other big-city police chiefs opposed the law. McManus argued his department had no legal authority to hold the migrants and that police released them to Catholic Charities.
His decision infuriated top Texas Republicans who pushed for the law. Paxton, who is under indictment for securities fraud, opened an investigation into McManus.
The city responded Friday with a statement accusing Paxton of “furthering a political agenda.”
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