SAN ANTONIO — For the Bexar County sheriff, protecting all citizens is job one.
"We're law enforcement officers. It's what we do," said Sheriff Javier Salazar.
For the first time since swearing into office, Salazar says San Antonio and Bexar County are not considered sanctuary jurisdictions.
"In that respect, my understanding is there is no set in stone term for what denotes a sanctuary city," said Salazar.
70 miles north, the city of Austin does wear the unofficial label of sanctuary city. It's a term that tells the public that local law enforcement will not question citizenship status or notify the federal agents when an undocumented immigrant is in custody in most circumstances.
"We very recently met with our local director of our field office here in the San Antonio area," said Salazar.
In Bexar County, Sheriff Salazar says he has a policy to direct jailers to work with federal officials on immigration detainers.
"The Sheriff's Office does honor those detainers as they come in," said Salazar.
However, according to the sheriff, upholding and carrying out President Donald Trump's executive order, which denounces sanctuary cities, would be a strain for Bexar County.
"We're not equipped manpower wise or training wise or liability wise to be immigration officers at present," said Salazar.
Detainers are an official request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, asking local law enforcement to hold an undocumented immigrant in custody until ICE can take over the detainee.
"We have a very good working relationship with them," he said.
Finally, the sheriff stresses his office is here to protect all people regardless of immigration.
"I indicated to my letter to Austin last week and I indicated to the local directed to the director of the local field office with ICE that I will work with them on a case-by-case basis on those detainers always with public safety as the priority on those," said Salazar.
Right now, there are no people inside the jail on immigration detainer holds.