Texas Dem fasts to protest sanctuary cities crackdown

close

Video

AG Jeff Sessions talks putting pressure on sanctuary cities

U.S. attorney general speaks out on 'Justice with Judge Jeanine'

A Texas state lawmaker is going days without food to protest an anti-sanctuary cities bill and urging others to join her.

Rep. Victoria Neave reportedly began her fast after attending church on Sunday and plans to refrain from eating until Wednesday, when the bill will be up for debate in the Texas House. The bill aims to ban cities, counties and universities from claiming “sanctuary” policies that prevent local law enforcement from asking about an individual’s immigration status or hamper enforcement of immigration law.

“I want people to know how terrible this law is,” Neave said, according to The Dallas Morning News.

She has since taken to Twitter to encourage others to #FastAgainstSB4.

Neave’s efforts come amid a federal crackdown on sanctuary cities, with the Justice Department contacting nine cities to warn that they will lose federal funding if they refuse to comply with immigration enforcement.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke to Customs and Border Protection workers at the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona on April 11 to elaborate on the dangers of sanctuary cities. He said gangs like MS-13 and the cartels “flood our country with drugs and leave death and violence in their wake.”

Neave, the daughter of an immigrant, warned the Texas bill would have a “chilling effect” on immigrants, making them too scared to report crimes or testify in court. In a video message that she retweeted, she acknowledged her side doesn’t have the votes right now to defeat the measure, calling the fast “one last call, one last push” to garner support.