ACLU Statement on House Immigration Bills

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives will vote on two immigration bills tomorrow, the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act (H.R. 3003) and Kate’s Law (H.R. 3004).

Lorella Praeli, director of immigration policy and campaigns at the American Civil Liberties Union, had the following reaction:

“These bills are riddled with constitutional violations that completely disregard the civil and human rights of immigrants. Despite claims to the contrary, Kate’s Law and the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act will make our communities less safe by undermining the trust that law enforcement builds with its communities — citizen and immigrant alike.

“The true intent of these bills is to empower Trump’s deportation force and anti-immigrant agenda. We urge the House to reject these bills, to defend the Constitution, and protect the rights of all people, no matter their background.”

The No Sanctuary for Criminals Act would force state and local law enforcement agencies to violate the Fourth Amendment by requiring them to imprison people without due process or probable cause at the request of federal immigration agents. By authorizing officials to hold immigrants without a bond hearing, the bill would allow them to be wrongly incarcerated for years during court proceedings. The legislation would also withhold millions of dollars in federal grant money to the over 600 jurisdictions nationwide that abide by the Fourth Amendment.

Kate’s Law would increase already strict penalties for undocumented immigrants who reenter the United States, while ignoring any humanitarian considerations. The bill also limits immigrants’ ability to challenge prior removal orders in court regardless of whether they were lawfully obtained, in violation of due process.