ACLU Travel Alert: Travelers Should Expect Violations to Their Constitutional Rights in Texas

Kate Wheeling
May 9, 2017
The alert follows the passage of a controversial law that allows law enforcement to ask about a person’s immigration status during traffic stops.
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Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Today, the American Civil Liberties Union issued a travel alert for Texas, after the passage of controversial legislation that allows law enforcement to ask about a person’s immigration status during traffic stops.

The law, which was signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Sunday, would also penalize police officers who fail to cooperate with federal authorities’ detainer requests. A refusal to cooperate would amount to a Class A misdemeanor—resulting in a $4,000 fine or up to a year in prison for first-time offenders, ThinkProgress reports.

The alert notifies “anyone planning to travel to Texas in the near future to anticipate the possible violation of their constitutional rights when stopped by law enforcement.”

Kate Wheeling Author

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