Houston Mayor Will Represent People Deported After Calling For Help During Hurricane Harvey

Beyond the natural disaster, there is a manmade threat looming that could compound the tragedy.

Houston mayor Sylvester Turner (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for BET)

Hurricane Harvey is not yet done unleashing its fury on Texas. The record-breaking storm has pummeled the Lone Star state with rain and left a swath of the Houston area — a size larger than the state of Delaware — flooded. The storm isn’t over yet — the rain and catastrophic flooding are expected to continue for days — and yet stories of rescue and loss are pouring in. But beyond the natural disaster there is a man-made threat looming that could compound the tragedy. (Well, besides the effects of global warming which made the storm much more intense.)

That human threat is Texas law SB 4, a “show me your papers” law. Scheduled to go into effect on Friday, September 1st, there is concern among Houston officials that undocumented people will not seek help in the midst of historic flooding for fear that they’ll be detained and deported. (The city is already suing the state over the law, saying it violates the Constitution.)

Houston’s mayor, Sylvester Turner, wants the people of Houston to know they should prioritize fears of the water over fears of deportation:

“Put SB 4 on a shelf right now,” he said. “Don’t hesitate to call. We will respond.”

He continued to reiterate his message, clearly stating, “If you’re in a stressful situation, I don’t care who you are, what your status is, I do not want you to run the risk of losing your life or a family member because you are concerned about SB 4.”

And he’s putting his money — or at least his Harvard Law School education — where his mouth is:

He added that if anyone gets deported after calling for help, “I and others will be the first ones to stand up with you. I will represent them myself.”

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There is a lot of awful going on in Texas right now, but the people of H-town should be proud their mayor is standing up for the most vulnerable of their people. Goodness knows protecting people hasn’t been a universal impulse during the course of the storm.


headshotKathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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