Wyden Joins Colleagues on Legislation to Protect Schools, Hospitals and Other Sensitive Locations against ICE Raids
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is joining Senate colleagues in introducing legislation that would prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement from making arrests at sensitive locations like hospitals, schools, churches and courthouses in Oregon and nationwide.
“The Trump administration’s efforts to upend these policies not only goes against long standing precedent, but also threatens public safety,” Wyden said, noting that the Trump Administration last month unilaterally revoked those long standing protections for hospitals, schools, churches and courthouses.
“Arresting people in the security of their school, hospital, or church is cruel, inhumane, and unjust,” Wyden said. “If people are too scared to go to the doctor when they are sick, that puts our community at risk of illness. If people are too scared to report crimes to law enforcement, or go to a rape crisis center, that makes our community less safe. These raids are intended to instill fear and will do nothing to improve our broken immigration system.”
The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act would codify the Department of Homeland Security’s established policies to stop ICE from making arrests at essential service locations. In addition, the legislation would ensure immigrants can have access to education, criminal justice, and social services without fear of deportation.
The list of “sensitive locations” protected under this legislation includes, but are not limited to: medical treatment facilities and health care facilities of all types; public and private schools, early childhood learning centers, preschools, scholastic activities, and field trips; places of worship; federal and local courthouses; DMVs and social security offices; polling places; labor union halls; and several other locations that provide essential or emergency services to immigrant communities, such as rape crisis centers and homeless shelters.
In addition to Wyden, the legislation was introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and cosponsored by Senators Michel Bennet, D-Colo., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Brian Schatz, D-Hawai’i, Peter Welch, D-Vt., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Tina Smith, D-Minn.
The bill text is here.
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