Bars state and local police from joining federal immigration enforcement programs, limits holding people on detainer without judicial warrants, and requires tracking and reporting of requests.

Plain-English Summary

This Rhode Island bill sets rules for how state and local police departments can interact with federal immigration authorities. Specifically, it would prevent Rhode Island police from joining federal programs that deputize local officers to enforce immigration law. In other words, local and state police could not officially act as immigration agents on behalf of the federal government.

The bill also addresses what happens when federal immigration authorities ask local jails or police to hold someone longer than they otherwise would — these are called "detainers." Under this bill, Rhode Island law enforcement could only honor those hold requests if a judge has issued a warrant. Without that judicial approval, police would be required to release people on their normal schedule, rather than holding them at the request of federal immigration officials alone.

Additionally, the bill requires that Rhode Island law enforcement track and publicly report any requests they receive from federal immigration authorities. This creates a record of how often such requests come in and how they are handled, making the process more transparent to the public.

This bill would primarily affect Rhode Island state and local police departments, local jails, and people who are detained and subject to federal immigration detainer requests. It does not prevent federal immigration agencies from operating in Rhode Island on their own — it simply limits the role that state and local resources can play in those efforts. The bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for further consideration.