Judge blocks provisions in Texas law punishing 'sanctuary cities'

By Jon HerskovitzAUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday blocked sections of a Texas law intended to punish so-called "sanctuary cities", regarded as soft on immigration, in a ruling handed down two days before the law was due to come into effect.Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia in San Antonio's federal court found the Texas legislation was unlikely to withstand constitutional scrutiny.The judge's ruling temporarily blocks part of the law that would require local law enforcem