The Idaho House of Representatives passed a bill 61-9 to allow local law enforcement to partner with federal authorities on immigration enforcement.
The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.
According to the bill, law enforcement may record an individual’s immigration status if they are detained or being investigated for a crime. If they are determined to be in the state unlawfully, they will face a misdemeanor charge. A second offense would lead to a felony charge and a conviction would result in their deportation.
“To the extent authorized by federal law, law enforcement officials shall be authorized to send, receive, and maintain information relating to the immigration status of illegal aliens for public safety purposes,” the bill’s text reads.
The bill also addresses “trafficking a dangerous illegal alien.” Those found guilty of this crime are to be “imprisoned for not less than one (1) year and not more than two (2) years, fined not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Idaho plans to challenge the measure.
“We are disappointed that the Idaho legislature decided to pass this extremely harmful and unconstitutional piece of anti-immigrant legislation,” the group said in a statement. “The ACLU has sued to prevent bills similar to this one from going into effect in other states and successfully stopped them from being enforced in every instance.”
“We urge the governor to veto this terrible legislation, both as a signal to Latino constituents that he does not support amplified racial profiling against brown people in Idaho, and as a promise to all Idahoans that he is fiscally responsible enough not to waste taxpayer dollars on a lawsuit Idaho will not win.”
