- Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, is taking aim at so-called sanctuary cities with new legislation that could leave local communities facing a financial hit if they do not cooperate with ICE.
- If local jurisdictions do not waive immunity from these sorts of civil cases, they could miss out on federal grants.
- Tillis’s bill is in its earliest stages on Capitol Hill -- it still needs to gain traction in the Senate.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, is taking aim at so-called sanctuary cities with new legislation that could leave local communities facing a financial hit if they do not cooperate with ICE.
Under his “Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act,” people impacted by sanctuary practices -- such as not complying with immigration detainers -- can take civil action. If local jurisdictions do not waive immunity from these sorts of civil cases, they could miss out on federal grants.
“All the local authorities say they’re releasing people who are not a threat to the community, so this should be a non-issue,” Tillis said. “All [the bill] is doing is providing a safety valve in those unfortunate instances where someone is harmed.”
The bill allows "any individual, spouse, or child who is a victim [of] a violent crime or felony" to sue, if the injury results from a local municipality not cooperating with an ICE detainer or other request from the Department of Homeland Security, according to a summary from Tillis's office.
Tillis likens it to a "victims' rights" issue.
The legislation comes as several newly-elected North Carolina sheriffs have severed cooperation between their offices and ICE. Rolling out his bill, Tillis named some of those communities directly, including Durham, Mecklenburg, and Wake Counties.
Read the article here.
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