LD 1833 Would Punish Local Governments that Don’t Act as Immigration Agents
Augusta – The ACLU of Maine is at the State House today to urge members of the Judiciary Committee to reject LD 1833, an anti-immigrant bill sponsored by Rep. Larry Lockman (R-Amherst).
LD 1833 is virtually identical to LD 366, which was rejected during the first regular session of the 128th Legislature. Like other “anti-sanctuary city” bills around the country, it would force local law enforcement to act like federal immigration agents. And it would charge fees of $500 a day ($182,500 a year) to towns and cities that choose not to do so.
Over 760 Mainers have signed a petition urging the legislature to reject LD 1833.
The following can be attributed to Oamshri Amarasingham, advocacy director at the ACLU of Maine:
“So-called ‘anti-sanctuary city’ bills are bad for Maine. They make immigrants feel scared and unwelcome. They compromise the ability of law enforcement to do their jobs. And they undermine the Constitution by promoting racial profiling and unlawful detention. Local governments should not be forced to choose between their budgets and the safety and constitutional rights of their residents. The legislature should reject this bill just as it rejected an identical bill last year.”
