Posted For: Rotorblade
Rhode Island lawmakers from the Democratic Party have proposed legislation that would prevent local police departments from hiring certain federal immigration officers who joined Immigration and Customs Enforcement during President Donald Trump’s second term.
The proposal comes as Democratic officials across the country continue to criticize the methods used in Trump’s expanded deportation efforts. Supporters of the president’s policy argue the measures are necessary to address immigration problems that developed during the Biden administration.
In Rhode Island, matching bills introduced in both the House and Senate are called the ICE OUT Act. The legislation would change the state’s Law Enforcement Officers’ Due Process Accountability and Transparency Act by adding a new restriction. Under the proposal, any law enforcement agency in the state would be prohibited from employing a person who became a sworn officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on or after January 20, 2025.
If approved, the rule would begin in October 2026. It would not apply to officers who had already left ICE and been hired by local departments before that date.
State Representative Karen Alzate, a Democrat from Pawtucket and the primary sponsor of the bill in the House, said during a legislative hearing that the measure is intended to strengthen trust between law enforcement and communities in Rhode Island.
Supporters of the proposal include the Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association. A representative for the group told the Providence Journal that the hiring standards used by the Department of Homeland Security during the Trump administration were too relaxed for the state’s policing requirements.
Federal officials pushed back on the proposal. Acting Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis said Rhode Island leaders are unfairly portraying ICE agents as threats while those officers are increasingly being targeted and harassed.
Bis argued that the additional ICE officers hired during Trump’s current administration have helped remove dangerous criminal illegal immigrants from communities in the state. She added that many Americans view ICE personnel as individuals who risk their safety to arrest serious offenders, including violent criminals and gang members.
Police leaders in Rhode Island also warned lawmakers that the bill could make it harder for departments to recruit officers. During legislative testimony on a broader set of police reform proposals that includes the ICE OUT Act, officials said the restrictions could reduce the pool of qualified candidates.
Another proposal introduced by Democratic Representative Joshua Giraldo of Central Falls would prevent ICE agents from operating within 200 feet of polling locations. Giraldo said concerns about federal immigration officers being stationed near voting sites can send a message of intimidation to immigrant communities, especially in the current political environment.
At the local level, Providence has already taken steps to limit federal immigration enforcement activity in certain areas. In January, Mayor Brett Smiley signed an executive order restricting DHS officers from operating in locations such as schools, parks, parking lots and government buildings within the city.
The mayor said the city has a responsibility to manage public spaces in a way that maintains public trust, ensures access and allows essential services to be delivered to all residents.