As the city of Austin confronts the challenges posed by Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4), a recent city council resolution aims to shield its immigrant population from the law’s potential enforcement. Per information obtained by KVUE, council members voted to deprioritize the bill, which allows law enforcement to detain individuals they suspect to be in the U.S. without proper immigration documentation.

The resolution passed by the council focuses not only on condemning the law — described by Governor Greg Abbott as a mechanism to "stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas" — but also lays the groundwork for the Austin Police Department (APD) to make enforcement of SB4 a low priority. Council member Vanessa Fuentes expressed, “If they do say it is constitutional to racially profile individuals and separate families, then we here at the local level stand strong in policy, and because we've already passed policy directing the deprioritization of enforcement.” Fuentes added, "time is better spent solving violent crime," according to KUT News.

While the legal challenges to SB4 are pending in the federal courts, the resolution serves not only as a policy directive but also as a symbol of local values – a point also raised by Austin-based immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch in her interview with KVUE. She voiced the sentiment that the city is sending to its immigrant community and the cautious approach the APD must take.