Bills to curb police cooperation with ICE advance in the General Assembly
Legislation to limit law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration actions is moving through the Virginia General Assembly.
Three related bills introduced by Sen. Saddam Salim (D-Merrifield) were passed by the Virginia Senate 21-19 on “crossover day” on Feb. 17. That’s the date when all bills passed by the Senate or the House of Delegates move on to the other chamber. Bills that haven’t passed in either chamber don’t go forward.
One of Salim’s bills (SB783) prohibits state and local police departments from entering into or renewing an agreement with federal immigration law enforcement agencies.
The bill also prohibits law enforcement officers from assisting with any actions to enforce federal immigration law. An exception would be allowed if the officer is presented with a valid judicial warrant, subpoena, or detainer.
Senate Bill 351 would prohibit the civil detention of anyone traveling to or from a courthouse, and SB352 would require federal immigration agents to wear identification and would prohibit them from wearing masks.
“These three bills share one simple principle: Virginia law enforcement should not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement in ways that make our communities less safe, less trusting, and less free,” Salim said.
“When we allow our sheriffs’ offices and police departments to sign open‐ended agreements with ICE, we are lending the trust local officers have earned through years of service in the community to a federal agency responsible for record‐high detention deaths, aggressive raids, and lethal force incidents that look less like public safety and more like authoritarianism,” he said.
Courthouses should continue to be accessible to witnesses, victims, and everyone else without fear of being apprehended. “When ICE turns our courthouses into a dragnet for potential deportees, our courts cannot function,” Salim said.
“The worst abuses we have seen from ICE, both in Virginia and around the country, have been performed by masked, unidentified agents,” he said. “This not only emboldens these officers to act aggressively and provocatively; it terrorizes community members, who can no longer tell the difference between a police officer and a kidnapper.”
Once again Virginia declaring massive resistance.
You guys having a pep rally over at Luther Jack?
I don’t understand why any American would be anti-ICE.
While I’m a supporter of the mission (enforcing the duly enacted bi-partisan law) and the employees, to mix metaphors, the leadership misread the room and overplayed their hand. Now we’ve got two things to fix, the substance and the perception.
But not once has an opponent said, hey we also like enforcing the laws we passed so let’s work together and fix this. Nope. Didn’t read it here either. Just hate.
So again, like in 1956, Virginia’s governor declares massive resistance to Federal law.
Because they saw them brutally and prejudicially kill two random innocent bystanders and lied to them with their position of power accusing them with zero iq or justification that they were terrorists? Personally when the state declares it can easily do that to anyone, thinking anyone I could know could die randomly to the hands of ICE makes me want to get rid of those murders yes actually
Total BS. They interfered with law enforcement & one assaulted law enforcement, creating or exacerbated the circumstances of their own deaths. Easily avoided. Shouldn’t have happened, but innocent bystanders they were not.
You, watching video over and over from comfort of your living room, were a bystander.
GRS believes doing anything other than what they are told is reason for execution by state.
Nope. Pass the law. Obey the law. Enforce the law. Simple as that. It’s what separates a democratic society from whatever it is y’all want.
GRS reflected and still believes that doing anything other than what they are told is reason for execution by state.
Yes sir/no sir, don’t talk back, don’t argue with the officer tell it to the judge, keep your hands in sight, no sudden moves, don’t be stupid, don’t play with fire. All those things fathers should tell kids can really pay off.
Right? Why all the hate? They’re just masked, lawless thugs shooting American citizens in the street and laughing about it. People are such haters.