THE ICE PROBLEMState Lawmakers Stand Ready to Help ICE — or Impede It
Tensions rise nationwide over aggressive enforcement tactics and deadly encounters. As lawmakers convene for this year’s state legislative sessions, immigration has surged to the top of the agenda.
As lawmakers convene for this year’s state legislative sessions, immigration has surged to the top of the agenda. Across the country, dozens of bills touching on immigration enforcement, civil rights and the role of federal agents have been introduced this month.
The proposals range from measures that would restrict where federal immigration agents can operate, to bills creating new legal pathways for residents to sue those agents, to proposals that would shield agents from having their personal information disclosed publicly.
The volume and scope of the legislation reflect growing political momentum and tension around immigration at the state level — even as many of the bills face long odds of advancing. Immigration enforcement is primarily a federal responsibility, and states historically have had limited authority to shape who can remain in the country. But lawmakers are acting where they can.
“There is important space for state officials to decide to what extent they are going to use state resources to enforce immigration law, or on the flip side, create a more welcoming environment for migrants in their communities,” said César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, a law professor at Ohio State University.
The flurry of legislation is unfolding amid the Trump administration’s intensifying immigration crackdown and a rise in protests over enforcement operations. In Minneapolis this month, federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during protests –– fueling national outrage and scrutiny of federal enforcement tactics.
Those shootings have also deepened public mistrust, as federal authorities’ accounts of what happened don’t match what is shown in publicly available video footage and documents. The discrepancies have become a flashpoint for lawmakers pushing for greater oversight of federal agents operating in their states.
A Surge of Bills
The purpose and scope of immigration-related bills vary widely.
In several Democratic-led states, lawmakers have advanced proposals aimed at limiting enforcement or increasing protections for immigrant communities. Some bills would bar or sharply restrict federal agents from carrying out immigration arrests in or near schools, churches, hospitals and courthouses.
