Senate Bill 9, a bill that was added to the calendar for the special session, is part of the anti-Hispanic agenda the Texas GOP is carrying. SB 9 will prohibit sanctuary cities, expand the federal government’s Secure Communities program to include all detention facilities (it is currently in use in every county jail) and codify stricter guidelines for legal residents applying for state-issued driver’s licenses or IDs. The supporters of SB 9 say that Texas owes it to the law enforcement officials to give them the discretion they need to adequately do their jobs. However, it is these same law enforcement officials who say that community policing could be irreparably harmed if SB 9 is passed. Since I choose to listen to the law enforcement officials, the experts on the subject, there has to be a more sinister reason underlying the desire to pass this retrogressive legislation. If this anti-Hispanic agenda passes, we will make sure we mobilize our voters to elect people who really care about the security of Texas and not someone who needs to score political points by saying that they were tough on illegal immigration.

—Loren Campos
Outgoing president, University Leadership Initiative