I appreciate the careful consideration you clearly gave that issue. The second part of the bill deals with lawsuits that local law enforcement people might be faced with. so the second thing our bill does is provide protection for law enforcement officers who do want to cooperate and comply with detainer requests from the Federal Government. It would address the liability issue created by recent court decisions by providing liability protection to local law enforcement who honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers. The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association explains in a letter of support for the bill: Unfortunately. at least four courts have ruled that local law enforcement officers may be sued for violating the Fourth Amendment if they comply with an immigration detainer. even if the detainer was lawfully issued and the detention would have been legal if carried out by DHS. This means that our local counterparts are exposed to potential civil liability and it disables their ability to detain dangerous criminals scheduled for release. The Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act solves this problem by explicitly stating that local law enforcement officers have legal authority to comply with immigration detainers. While preventing restrictive liability to law enforcement. the bill also ensures the protection of civil liberties and the rights of individuals. The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association noted that "the bill protects civil liberties. ensuring that someone who has had their constitutional rights violated may sue." Finally. the bill addresses criminals attempting to reenter the United States and habitual offenders of our immigration laws. The bill creates a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years for any alien who is an aggravated felon or has been twice convicted of illegal reentry. Thanks to many people. including TVs Bill OReilly. for keeping this issue constantly before the people of this country.
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immigration Immigration