HOUSE REPUBLICANS PROPOSE REFORMS TO TRUST ACT

HOUSE REPUBLICANS PROPOSE REFORMS TO TRUST ACT

HARTFORD – House Republicans on Thursday unveiled a proposal to reform Connecticut’s Trust Act, making it easier for law enforcement officers to communicate with federal immigration officials and detain illegal aliens charged with felony crimes, domestic violence or terrorism.

“While America is certainly a country of immigrants, and opportunity for hard-working men and women looking for a better life, we cannot allow it to become the land of opportunity to victimize innocent citizens,” Rep. Greg Howard (R-43), Ranking Member of the Public Safety & Security Committee said. “It is as imperative to public safety, as it is to otherwise law-abiding immigrants, that those who come to Connecticut and break our laws, especially crimes of violence, are held accountable.  We are calling for a common-sense approach to this issue. It is irresponsible to Connecticut residents to release illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes back into the community when the federal government is seeking to deport them.”

“Connecticut’s sanctuary state policies present a significant public safety concern by shielding illegal aliens who commit crimes. From decisions by the Department of Correction and Board of Pardons and Paroles to restrictions on local law enforcement’s communication with federal immigration officials, many residents believe the pendulum has swung too far from common sense. It’s time to confront this issue, and we urge our colleagues to join us in this important conversation and take action to protect our communities,” House Republican Leader Representative Vincent Candelora (R-86) said.

With the House Republicans’ latest proposal, the Trust Act would be amended to allow state and local law enforcement agencies to hold an undocumented immigrant pursuant to an ICE detainer request for up to 48 hours, and without a judicial warrant, when such individual has been charged with a Class A, B, or C felony, crime of family violence, or terrorism.

Under current law, only convictions for an A or B felony would trigger a contact with federal authorities.  The GOP plan would establish that federal contact following an arrest for an A, B, and now a C felony.

C felonies include crimes such as: manslaughter, assault, threatening with intent to cause evacuation of a school or day care, house of religious worship, or religiously-affiliated community center, strangulation or suffocation, sexual assault, enticing a minor, burglary, arson, and more.

“It’s a simple matter of protecting innocent, law-abiding Connecticut residents by holding offenders, specifically illegal aliens who commit crimes like burglary, sexual assault, and strangulation, accountable for their actions and in concert with established federal law,” Rep. Craig Fishbein (R-90), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee said. “By addressing these important illegal immigration concerns at the time of a local arrest, ICE will be able to safely evaluate and, if necessary, remove criminal offenders from our country. This is a thoughtful, targeted approach to a very emotional situation.”

Candelora and Republicans also discussed a caucus proposal that would compel state agencies to supply to the legislature information that would allow lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to understand the true financial impact illegal immigration has on Connecticut taxpayers.

“From healthcare to public safety to education, the true cost of supplying scarce state services to undocumented individuals remains unclear because bureaucrats aren’t collecting or sharing the data,” Rep. Candelora said. “Overall, policymakers are flying blind while some Democrats push to expand free healthcare for illegal immigrants while having no idea what it will cost or what additional burden such policies are placing on limited resources. With mounting demands for funding across many programs and services, we must prioritize transparency to ensure everyone understands the stakes and where our budget priorities lie. To do anything less amounts to irresponsible stewardship of our state funds.”