Lawmakers in a growing number of states are proposing to give local law officers the power to arrest people who entered the country illegally, mirroring recent laws in Texas and elsewhere that have been placed on hold while courts weigh whether they unconstitutionally usurp federal authority. Other legislation filed ahead of next year’s legislative sessions would require local law enforcement agencies to notify U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement when they take someone into custody who is in the country illegally, even if the charges have nothing to do with their immigration status.
Though not specifically requested by Trump, many of the state proposals would complement his immigration policies. “We would be finding people who are in violation of this law, and we would be sort of hand-delivering them to the nearest port of deportation so that they could be removed in a safe and orderly fashion,” said Missouri state Sen. Curtis Trent, who is sponsoring one of the proposals.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates that 11 million unauthorized immigrants were living in the U.
S. as of 2022, the latest statistics available. While campaigning, Trump talked about creating “the largest mass deportation program in history” and called for using the National Guard and domestic police forces in the effort.
Some Democratic-led states already are raising resistance. The California Legislature convened a special session to try to shield people from potential Trump p.
