Crockett, Espaillat Co-Lead Bicameral Legislation to Protect Sensitive Locations From ICE Raids
WASHINGTON — Today, February 6, 2025, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) joined Representatives Adriano Espaillat, Sylvia Garcia, Chuy Garcia, Susan Bonamici, Don Beyer, Pramila Jayapal, and Delia Ramirez in introducing the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act—legislation that codifies commonsense protections for immigrant communities against immigration enforcement officers at sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, and religious institutions without prior approval and exigent circumstances. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is introducing companion legislation in the Senate. Rep. Crockett released the following statement in support of the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act.
"In his first week in office, President Trump signed an executive order that turned community places once considered safe and sacred into locations of fear and terror by allowing ICE officers to enter these spaces and apprehend and detain children and families," said Rep. Crockett. "Across the country, we are seeing families and children who once freely and safely worshiped at chapels, churches, mosques, and synagogues next to their neighbors now hide and worship in their homes without the comfort and support of their community. Children, including those in my district, are missing school and being denied their right to an education because parents are fearful of being detained at drop-off. Reports also show families skipping health appointments and emergency medical care out of fear of arrest or detention.
"Make no mistake—the consequences of Trump’s Executive Order harm our entire community. When families are too afraid to take their child to the doctor when they’re feeling sick, everyone’s health is put at risk. Texas public schools that rely on student attendance to receive certain levels of state funding will see a degraded quality of education for all children. Allowing ICE officers to raid our places of worship desecrates these sacred spaces and undermines our faith and our values as Americans. This is not who we are. This is not who we should be. And that is why I am proud to co-lead the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act alongside my democratic colleagues."
“Donald Trump has prioritized attacking immigrant families and we have witnessed a barrage of policy directives that seek to sow fear and intimidation throughout all immigrant communities across the nation," said Rep. Espaillat. "I first introduced Protecting Sensitive Locations to implement protections of immigrants in sensitive locations where they are most vulnerable. Support of the bill has grown expeditiously among my Congressional colleagues and advocates who are united in our efforts to prohibit immigration enforcement actions, including arrests, interviews, searches, and surveillance—at these “sensitive locations” where immigrant communities gather."
Under this bill, federal immigration enforcement actions (including detentions, questionings, and arrests) would be prohibited within 1,000 feet of a sensitive location—such as schools, hospitals, courthouses, and houses of worship—except under exigent circumstances. In doing so, the bill helps protect people’s ability to access essential, basic, and emergency services without fear and return a sense of safety to locations where immigration enforcement practices have brought danger and fear. In the event that an agent violates the 1,000-foot rule, the information they collect would be invalidated for the use in a removal proceeding. Additionally, this bill would require all DHS officers to complete an annual training on the sensitive locations policy, as well as create an annual report on its enforcement actions or complaints related to the enforcement actions.
A broad coalition of Members of Congress, including 34 Representatives and 18 Senators support the bill as cosponsors. The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act is endorsed by over 580 advocate organizations across several industries including health care, education, and religious institutions. This organizations include:
CLASP, The American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, The School Superintendents Association, ABISA, Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, Acacia Center for Justice • Access Ready, Inc., Advocates for Youth, African Communities Together, United Methodist Church, Global Refuge, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, Guttmacher Institute, Health Outreach Partners, HIAS, Hispanic Federation, Human Impact Partners, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, Hunger Free America, Immigrant Connections, Immigration Equality Action Fund, Immigration Hub, Immigration Law & Justice Network, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, ImmSchools, National Immigration Law Center, National Immigration Project, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, National League for Nursing, National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Network for Arab American Communities, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR), National Network of Abortion Funds, National Newcomer Network, National Partnership for New Americans, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, National Skills Coalition, National WIC Association, National Women's Law Center, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, Vera Institute of Justice, Vision y Compromiso, Voices for Progress, We Are All America, Welcoming America, Women's Refugee Commission, Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, and more.