ACLU warns Texas travelers about 'sanctuary city' law
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union has issued a warning about traveling to Texas because of the state's new law banning so-called sanctuary cities.
The ACLU said Tuesday that Texas travelers should anticipate "the possible violation of their constitutional rights" if stopped by police. The new law allows officers to ask people about their immigration status during routine stops.
The law signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday doesn't take effect until September. Republicans reject claims that the law will lead to racial profiling and say it's needed to keep criminals off the streets.
ACLU officials have pledged to challenge the law in court. Texas's attorney general's office took the unusual step Monday of asking a federal judge to pre-emptively declare the law constitutional.