Pennsylvania May Be Greatest State to Hide for Illegal Immigrants As New Rules Will Restrain Officers, Curb Interaction, Require Special Paperwork
HARRISBURG – Police across the state of Pennsylvania have been slapped with severe restrictions when it comes to dealing with suspected illegal immigrants and helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
Following accusations last year of racial profiling and essentially serving as an enforcement arm for ICE, Pennsylvania police are now limited in how they deal with suspects who may be living in the country illegally. New state regulations, and even a decision by the Supreme Court, have laid out how police can lawfully handle such situations. (https://www.luljettas.com)
If a Pennsylvania state trooper pulls a car over for a traffic violation, that officer can no longer ask for identification solely to check on the suspectโs immigration status. In fact, troopers are barred from arresting any foreign national for simply being an illegal immigrant.
The new rules donโt stop there.
If a trooper does arrest an immigrant, law enforcement is required to inform the suspect of their right to contact the consulate of their home government. Troopers must also now file a comprehensive report about any interaction they have with an immigrant, detailing the reasons for their interaction or detention. The rule is meant to track any patterns of racial profiling by the officer.
Police are still capable of notifying ICE if they believe an individual is undocumented. However, a trooper could only do so after their interaction with a foreign national is over i.e. the person has already driven away after being pulled over for a traffic violation.
The guidelines follow accusations of police wielding unrestricted authority to identify and arrest suspected illegal immigrants.
Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf praised the new rules, claiming it โprovides clear direction for state troopers.โ The governor was joined by other pro-immigration groups that lauded the guidelines.
However, one progressive group said the new restrictions donโt go far enough. In a released statement calling the moves โbaby steps,โ the American Civil Liberties Unionโs Pennsylvania chapter continued to accuse the stateโs police force of racism.
โIt is unlikely to be enough to stop troopersโ widespread and unconstitutional practice of pulling over people of color,โ said the groupโs legal director Witold Walczak, according to ProPublica.
Despite the tight restrictions, Pennsylvaniaโs new rules are lax compared to the โsanctuaryโ laws passed in a growing number of Democratic-led cities and states. California, for example, has passed legislation that severely restricts how local law enforcement can work with ICE officials. Critics of Californiaโs sanctuary law accuse it of allowing deadly criminals to remain in the country and continue committing acts of violence.
Follow Jason on Twitter.
Comments are closed.