State and Local Immigration Legislation

State & Local Legislation

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Illegal Aliens
January 11, 2019 State & Local Legislation

Indiana Bills Would Grant In-State Tuition to Illegal Aliens

Bills have recently been filed in Indiana’s state legislature to provide in-state tuition to illegal aliens in the Hoosier State.
Tennessee Capitol
January 11, 2019 State & Local Legislation

Shelby County Looking to Violate Tennessee’s Anti-Sanctuary Law

The ink has barely dried on Tennessee’s new law that put teeth into its anti-sanctuary policy (PL 973), and open borders advocates are already challenging it. Curiously, the Shelby County Attorney Marlinee Clark Iverson is claiming the law does not apply to Shelby County or the Shelby County Sheriff’s office. The new anti-sanctuary law expressly denies state economic and community development grants to state entities, and local jurisdictions that implement policies intended to interfere with federal immigration enforcement and provide "sanctuary" to illegal aliens. (See FAIR’s Legislative Update, Apr. 27, 2018)
Florida
January 4, 2019 State & Local Legislation

Florida State Courts Don’t Have Jurisdiction To Determine Detainer Constitutionality

On December 27, 2018, a Florida appellate court reversed a state trial court’s decision that held Miami-Dade County’s policy of holding illegal aliens on immigration detainers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was unconstitutional. Although the Third District Court of Appeals’ (DCA) opinion in Junior v. LaCroix did not rule on whether the detainer policy is constitutional, the case is still highly encouraging and may have implications far beyond the Sunshine State.
Florida E-Verify Proposal
December 21, 2018 State & Local Legislation

E-Verify and Anti-Sanctuary Bills Filed In Florida

In the space of roughly a week, bills have been filed in the Florida Legislature to require mandatory E-Verify by all employers, and to prohibit sanctuary policies by local governments and state agencies. The Sunshine State’s lawmakers look to be gearing up for a productive session when they convene on March 5, and these bills could be considered during interim committee weeks already scheduled for January and February.
Massachusetts State Flag
December 21, 2018 State & Local Legislation

Springfield, Massachusetts Votes to Become a Sanctuary City

In what may become a foreshadowing of things to come in 2019, Massachusetts’ third most populous city has just voted to make itself a sanctuary city. During its regular meeting on December 17, the Springfield City Council voted 10-3 to adopt the Welcoming Community Trust Act, a sanctuary ordinance designed to protect illegal aliens from law enforcement.
Arizona SB1070
December 21, 2018 State & Local Legislation

Arizona Bill Would Require Counties to Accept Federal Law-Enforcement Funding

Back on September 4, over the strident objections of Sheriff Mark Napier (R), the Board of Supervisors of Pima County, Arizona voted to reject any further funds from the federal Stonegarden grant program. In response, Representative Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley) has introduced House Bill (HB) 2001, which requires counties to accept federal law-enforcement funds.
California Sheriff Rejects “Sanctuary” Law
December 21, 2018 State & Local Legislation

Jamestown Council Rejects Sanctuary Ordinance

In Jamestown, Rhode Island, the Town Council opposed efforts by a group of residents to become a sanctuary jurisdiction. On December 13, the Jamestown Council overwhelmingly voted 4-0 to oppose the Municipal Immigrant Protection Ordinance. This measure would have prevented law enforcement officers from freely communicating with federal immigration officials – shielding criminal aliens and needlessly endangering innocent lives.
New York State on a Map
December 13, 2018 State & Local Legislation

New York Court: No Honoring Detainers

On November 14, a New York state appeals court ruled that state and local law enforcement in the Empire State cannot honor immigration detainers issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Dangerous Sanctuary Cities
December 13, 2018 State & Local Legislation

New Jersey Becomes a Sanctuary State By Order of Its Attorney General

On November 29, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal issued a directive turning the Garden State into a sanctuary state. The New Jersey Attorney General, unlike those of most states, is appointed by the governor, in this case Governor Phil Murphy (D), so this appears to be the first case of a state being made into a sanctuary for illegal aliens by the unilateral executive action of a non-elected official.
Crimes of Illegal Aliens in 2009
December 13, 2018 State & Local Legislation

Two Cities Boost Spending for Illegal Alien Defense Funds

While Denver, Colorado and Seattle, Washington may be separated by thousands of miles, they are nevertheless joined together by a shared goal to provide legal representation to illegal aliens.