The ACLU of Connecticut and some Democratic lawmakers want to strengthen state law to provide more protections for immigrants.
Connecticut law restricts cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials.
It’s called the Trust Act.
Senator Gary Winfield, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee, said the state needs stronger protections for immigrants to respond to President Donald Trump’s deportation policy, which included the transfer of American prisoners to a Salvadoran prison in defiance of a court order.
“The rule of law is important. And it makes every effort that we are making here important,” Winfield said, whose committee is considering adding robust enforcement to the law.
“It’s important not only to those we think of but also to those who exist in the immigrant community. But it’s important to all of us because when the line moves, and it has been moving, one day you have a visa and the next day you don’t. And you don't even know it, and you are gone,” he said.
Gov. Ned Lamont said the law doesn’t need to be amended.
“I think we have a good Trust Act,” he said.
“The Trust Act says felons, those who are a danger to our community, we get them off the street and keep your community safe. Our cops are not immigration officials. We are not asking everybody’s immigration status.” Lamont said.
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to document so-called “sanctuary cities” that are not complying with his immigration agenda.
Nearly 600,000 state residents are immigrants, according to the ACLU of Connecticut.
This story has been updated to clarify the number of state residents who are immigrants.
