The Hays County Commissioners Court adopted a resolution reaffirming Hays County’s commitment to the Constitutional and Humane Treatment of all individuals – regardless of immigration status.
According to the proclamation, the Constitution of the United States, including its Bill of Rights, guarantees due process and equal protection under the law to all persons, not just citizens, reaffirmed in landmark rulings such as Zadvydas v. Davis (2001), and Hays County is steadfast in its oath-bound duty to uphold these protections.
“The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments mandate that no person shall be ‘deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law,’ a protection extended to every human being on American soil, underscoring our national commitment to fairness and restraint,” the proclamation stated.” The Supreme Court has long affirmed that ‘the Constitution applies to all persons within the United States, including aliens, whether their presence here is lawful, unlawful, temporary or permanent’ (Plyler v. Doe, 1982), cementing the legal and moral responsibility of all local authorities to treat immigrants with dignity and justice.”
