Amid President Trump’s newly enacted policies targeting undocumented residents across the country, several Providence and Rhode Island officials affirmed their commitment to limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“The City has not and will not proactively collaborate with (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to provide information and will not change this policy,” Providence City Spokesperson Josh Estrella wrote in an email to The Herald.
The Providence Police Department will also not proactively collaborate with federal immigration authorities, PPD Spokesperson Lindsay Lague wrote in an email to The Herald.
The day of his inauguration, Trump signed an executive order to end automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to unauthorized immigrants. He also later shared plans for mass deportations and increased expedited removals of undocumented individuals.
On Jan. 21, 22 states sued to prevent the executive order from taking effect, and a federal judge temporarily blocked the order last week.
Trump also authorized ICE to enter “sensitive” locations such as churches and schools — places the Biden administration designated as “protected areas” for undocumented immigrants.
Earlier this month, the Providence City Council introduced an ordinance to prohibit Providence police from sharing information about residents with federal immigration authorities.
The ordinance would ensure that Providence schools, places of worship, health facilities and courts will not grant federal immigration authorities access to their premises. It would also prohibit federal officers from entering any property without an arrest warrant, probable cause and the name of a specific person of interest.
The ordinance was referred to the Committee of Ordinances, where it is currently pending.
The Council is also exploring legislative options, including a proposed ordinance by the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, wrote City Council Press Secretary Roxie Richner in an email to The Herald.
The ACLU proposal includes rejecting a Department of Homeland Security program that authorizes ICE to delegate specific immigration enforcement duties to local and state police.
“My city, right now, looks like a ghost town,” R.I. State Senator Jonathon Acosta ’11 MA’16 MA’19 PhD’24.5 (D-Central Falls, Pawtucket) said in an interview with The Herald. “People are on high alert, people are afraid.”
The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office recently circulated guidelines to protect undocumented students in schools.
“Unless there is a real public safety exigency, immigration enforcement does not belong on school grounds,” the press release reads.
But not all state leaders oppose the new federal immigration policies.
“I could not agree more with targeting criminal illegal aliens for deportation,” R.I. State Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz (R-Burrillville, Glocester, North Smithfield) wrote in an email to The Herald. “Vigorous enforcement will prevent threats to national security.”
ICE and the White House did not respond to The Herald’s requests for comment.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the proposed City Council ordinance was introduced following President Trump's inauguration. The ordinance was introduced Jan. 16, before President Trump's inauguration. The Herald regrets the error.
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Lev Kotler-Berkowitz is a sophomore senior staff writer covering city and state politics. He is from the Boston area and is concentrating in Political Science and Economics. In his free time, Lev can be found playing baseball or running around with his dog.