Sanctuary Cities Bill In Texas: Republican Threatens To Shoot Fellow Lawmaker Over SB 4

Amid hundreds of protestors opposing Texas' new anti-sanctuary cities law in Texas House's public gallery on Monday, lawmakers got involved in scuffle on the floor below and threats of gun violence also erupted.

Activists wearing red T-shirts reading "Lucha," or "Fight," had filled up the gallery seats but after about 40 minutes of the session, they began to cheer, whistle and chanted: "Here to stay!" and "SB4 has got to go," referring to the bill Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law earlier this month, reports said.

The chaos began around 11 a.m. EDT Monday on the last day of a bitter legislative session in Austin. The disturbance led to Texas Republican Matt Rinaldi telling several Democratic lawmakers he had reported the protestors in the gallery, to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), the New York Times reported.

One of the Democrats, Representative César J. Blanco, said Rinaldi told him and others, “We are going to have them deported,” and then used some obscene words.

Blanco said they were shocked by Rinaldi's comments and it was likely he thought the protestors were illegal immigrants soley on account of being brown skinned.

In a comment made to Rep. Poncho Nevárez during the scuffle over SB 4 on Monday, the final day of the regular legislative session, Rinaldi allegedly threatened to put a bullet in his head, according to the Texas Observer.

“There was a subsequent exchange between my brother Poncho and Representative Rinaldi and there was a threat made from Rinaldi to put a bullet in one of my colleague’s heads,” Representative Justin Rodriguez told reporters after the incident. “That kind of threatening language, he needs to be called out and held accountable for.”

Rinaldi later wrote on Facebook he had called upon the immigration agents as he saw several immigrants with signs saying, "I am illegal and here to stay." The Republican also accused Nevárez of repeatedly threatening him on the House floor during the scuffle.

“I made it clear that if he attempted to, in his words, ‘get me,’ I would shoot him in self defense,” Rinaldi said. “I would shoot him in self defense. I am currently under DPS protection.”

SB 4 was introduced early this legislative session by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock. The bill emerged soon after Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez announced limits on cooperation between the county jail and ICE agents.

According to immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, there will be two major changes. Firstly, Travis County, as well as every other jurisdiction in the state, must now comply with federal immigration agents’ requests for inmates in custody, without exceptions. Jurisdictions who don't comply could be fined up to $25,000 a day, according to Austin-American Statesman.

Secondly, officers with any law enforcement agency, including universities’ and school districts’ police departments, have the authority to ask people they stop to see proof of their immigration status.