Fort Worth lawmaker is fasting in opposition to upcoming sanctuary cities debate

State Rep. Ramon Romero Jr. ate a little bit of meatloaf Monday morning and said that’s the last thing he will eat until the House takes up the so-called “sanctuary cities” bill Wednesday.

Romero, D-Fort Worth, is among those opposed to the bill geared to prevent cities, counties — even public and private colleges in Texas — from creating policies that would keep law enforcement from asking about a person’s immigration status.

So he joined state Rep. Victoria Neave, a Dallas Democrat who is his desk mate on the House floor, in a fast until the debate over Senate Bill 4 occurs.

“Victoria told members of our (Democratic) caucus about how she was moved spiritually at church. She said it’s critical (to do the fast) and she was going to ask the Lord for some help,” Romero said. “It’s a continuation of what we just finished in the Lenten season.

“I told her, ‘I’ll join you,’ ” he said. “It’s important you are joined by someone else and you aren’t alone.”

The anti-sanctuary cities bill, a priority of Gov. Greg Abbott, has drawn massive attention since lawmakers began considering the issue earlier this year.

The Senate passed a bill that lets law enforcement officers ask anyone detained about their immigration status. The House is considering a bill that would only let authorities ask about immigration status if someone is arrested.

The proposal, which has drawn large crowds of people to the Texas Capitol to testify, also punishes law enforcement officers who refuse to follow the law and don’t cooperate with efforts to deport those illegally in the country who have been jailed on unrelated charges.

“This is going to affect innocent people that we know in our neighborhoods, productive members of society,” Romero said. “The first thing that came to my mind (when deciding to join the fast) is that there are kids who are hungry because their dads aren’t in the U.S. anymore — or their moms were deported and there’s no one in the U.S. to make them a home-cooked meal anymore.

“So for me to go three days and join Victoria is a very small price to pay for the suffering families are going to go through because of what’s going to happen Wednesday.”

Changing hearts?

Romero said he knows God can move mountains.

But can he move the hearts of lawmakers in the Texas House to either not take up the bill or carve out college campuses as sanctuaries?

“My prayer, my prayer, would be that Charlie Geren and (Republican) members have it in their hearts … to understand, to protect the college campuses, to protect the children,” Romero said.

State Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, is sponsoring the bill in the House and says without doubt that the measure will be up for debate Wednesday.

And he won’t be pulling the college campus provision out of the bill.

“I’m not going to do it,” he said.

But Geren said no one will be deported from college campuses in Texas.

“The bill just says college police can’t be prevented from asking about their legal status,” he said. “They have no holding facilities on college campuses, that I know about anyway.

“So no one will be detained.”

‘Don’t get arrested’

Geren said the fast that Romero and Neave are participating in changes nothing — and will not stop or even slow the bill.

“They can do whatever they want to do,” he said. “I’m going to eat.”

But Geren said that the House version of this bill is straightforward.

“The best way to not be deported is don’t get arrested by the police,” he said. “If you aren’t arrested, there’s no problem. It’s that simple.”

Romero said there will be long-term repercussions if this bill passes the Texas Legislature and is signed into law by Abbott.

“It’s going to affect all of our pocketbooks when we don’t have enough people to keep building Texas,” he said. “I’m pained this is where we are in the Legislature. This is not what I believe to be a core tenet of the Legislature.”

Ramon said he will end his fast after the House takes up the issue Wednesday.

“But I’m not sure I’ll have much of an appetite after it’s over,” he said.

This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 1:21 PM with the headline "Fort Worth lawmaker is fasting in opposition to upcoming sanctuary cities debate."