Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is threatening to terminate roughly $2.5 million in state grants awarded to Austin because of the city’s policies on police cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
This comes just days after Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the city’s policies on how it works with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Austin police announced new rules in March for how officers interact with ICE agents if they suspect someone is in the country without authorization. Those rules require officers to clear any communication with ICE with a supervisor if the suspect has a civil “administrative warrant” — or non-criminal warrant — flagged by ICE. APD is required to communicate with ICE for suspects facing criminal charges, according to the guidelines…