Dallas County booking records can be kept secret

A ruling from the Texas Attorney General's office has just made it more difficult to access information about the kinds of crimes undocumented immigrants have committed in Dallas County — and whether local officials turned those offenders over to federal authorities.

In a Nov. 13 ruling, the AG's office determined that because the Dallas County Sheriff's Office booking system is maintained for use by the court system, it is not subject to the Texas Public Information Act.

The ruling was in response to a request from The Texas Tribune for booking information on all "non-U.S. citizens" placed in the Dallas County jail since 2007. Continue…

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