Legislation Would Prevent Arrests at Schools, Hospitals, and Places of Worship
Washington D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper joined 19 of their Senate colleagues to introduce the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act. The legislation would reinstate the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) long-standing policies to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from making arrests at sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Last month, the Trump administration rescinded these existing policies.
“The Trump Administration’s efforts to allow ICE to take enforcement action in protected areas are deeply concerning and go against long-standing precedent,” said Bennet. “Every Coloradan should feel safe to go to school, church, and the doctor without fear of arrest.”
“We all want criminals off our streets and a more secure border,” said Hickenlooper. “Targeting kids and families who haven’t committed a crime – especially at their schools, hospitals, or places of worship – doesn’t get us any closer to fixing our broken immigration system.”
In addition to codifying DHS’s previous policy preventing arrests in sensitive locations, the bill would expand the protected locations to include courthouses and additional health care, educational, and religious facilities. The legislation includes exceptions for exigent circumstances and requires ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel to receive training on carrying out enforcement activities. It also requires ICE and CBP to submit an annual report to Congress on their enforcement actions.
In addition to Bennet and Hickenlooper, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) cosponsored the bill.
The full text of the bill is available HERE.