House Passes Problematic "Sanctuary Cities" Bill

The House passed ( 71-35) the so called "Sanctuary Cities" bill, HB 9 (Metz), on Friday, January 12. The bill requires local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration policy without accompanying funding. As a result, local resources for preventing crime and protecting the public will be redirected to immigration enforcement. In a  letter to the bill's sponsor, Executive Director Michael Sheedy outlined FCCB's concerns with the measure.Ingrid Delgado (pictured above), FCCB associate for social concerns/respect life, provided  remarks at a press conference organized by immigration advocates. "This deeply polarizing term is a misnomer and is usually misunderstood," said Delgado. "Commonly, the term has been utilized to refer to fictitious policies that prohibit criminal prosecution of undocumented migrants. In reality, criminal violations are investigated and prosecuted independent of a person's status; and local law enforcement already shares information with ICE."

The Senate companion, SB 308 (Bean), has not been heard by its committees of reference.

Thank you to our FLCAN members who took action to oppose HB 9 and contacted their representatives.