Did Travis County Release ‘Hundreds of Illegal Immigrants?’

Our weekly check-in with the Texas Truth-O-Meter.

By Alain Stephens February 15, 2017 11:07 am,

Physician Dawn Buckingham, Travis County’s newcomer in the Texas Senate, touted her co-authorship of a Senate-approved measure to ban so-called sanctuary city policies statewide by using her home county as an example.

The Republican from Lakeway, elected in 2016 to represent Senate District 24, said in a Feb. 8, 2017, email blast: “I believe in a safe Travis County and a safe Texas, and actions recently taken by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office have endangered our community and our state.”

Buckingham’s email continued: “Hundreds of illegal immigrants subject to detainers were released in the last week since the new sanctuary policy was adopted by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, and I am proud the Senate has acted quickly in response.”

Is that a fact? Gardner Selby of the PolitiFact Texas fact-checking team has the answer.

Hear how Buckingham’s claim scored in the player above.