King, Colleagues Work to Bolster Public Safety and Communication Between State and Federal Law Enforcement on Immigration Warrants

March 22, 2024
WASHINGTON D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King has introduced legislation with sixSenate colleagues to improve public safety and bolster coordination between state and federal governments to ensure violent undocumented persons are kept in custody and not released back into the community. TheImproving Public Safety Through Immigration Warrant Issuance Act—would allow for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to obtain a judicially authorized warrant for an undocumented person who has been charged or convicted of committing a felony or violent crime in the United States.
Under the current system, when an undocumented person is charged by state or local law enforcement, ICE often issues an administrative request, known as a detainer, to hold that suspect in state custody until ICE can arrive. However, because in the current system detainers are not authorized by a judge — state or local law enforcement cannot hold a person in physical custody longer than the period they would have been released, allowing more time for ICE to step in, or they risk violating that person’s Fourth Amendment rights.
“We have a solemn obligation to keep our communities safe, and all criminals off our streets,”said Senator Angus King. “TheImproving Public Safety Through Immigration Warrant Issuance Act isa common sense step forward that will work to improve coordination between local, state, and federal authorities regarding undocumented people who have been charged with or convicted of violent crimes. This legislation reinforces our commitment to public safety while we work toward a bipartisan solution to our nation’s insufficient immigration policies.”
Specifically, the legislation would:
The bill was also introduced by Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ).
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