Submitted by Jonathan Perloe, Cos Cob
There is a long history of abusive practices by federal immigration authorities, including in Connecticut. That’s why in 2013, in response to civil rights abuses in Connecticut by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the CT General Assembly unanimously passed the Trust Act. The abuses that spurred passage of the Trust Act led to a landmark settlement against the federal government.
The Trust Act prevents state and local law enforcement from wasting time and resources doing the federal government’s job for it. It also protects undocumented residents from the widespread inhumane treatment of immigrant families by ICE, which escalated during the first Trump administration and persisted even through the Biden administration.
However, given the unprecedented fear mongering and unconstitutional attacks against immigrants by the current Trump administration, the Trust Act needs to be strengthened.
House Bill 7212 introduced in the CT General Assembly seeks to do so. It ensures effective enforcement of the Trust Act by establishing a public hotline for reporting violations of the Act, creates a new oversight committee and grants individuals the right to sue for violations of the Act. It also protects access to Connecticut’s courthouses by prohibiting ICE arrests at courthouses and empowering judges to enforce this rule.
Nothing in the current or proposed changes to the Trust Act prevents Connecticut police or courts from arresting and bringing to justice alleged criminals or enforcing our criminal laws, no matter their immigration status. As State Representative Matt Blumenthal said at a recent legislative update at Greenwich Town Hall, if ICE wants to detain someone in Connecticut all they have to do is get a judicial warrant, just as state and local law enforcement are required to do.
It’s long been acknowledged by both Democrats and Republicans that the nation’s immigration system needs reform. Under President Biden, progress was made towards a bipartisan immigration bill until it was killed by then candidate Trump. He was more interested in using the issue for political gain than in solving the country’s immigration challenges.
Police in Connecticut have a duty to help maintain healthy communities, not be caught up in politicization and fear-mongering about immigration. It’s important to our collective public safety that undocumented people feel safe to communicate to police about safety concerns and crimes they witness, send their children to school or seek medical care.
Sadly, Senator Ryan Fazio, who represents Greenwich in the state legislature, is amplifying President Trump’s heartless and false narratives about the dangers presented by undocumented immigrants. Despite emails to constituents claiming to want to reform the Trust Act, he introduced a bill, S. 684, whose title is “An Act Repealing the Trust Act.”
Sen. Fazio said his bill is “about protecting the public from people who have committed crimes.” Nothing in the Trust Act prevents state or local law enforcement from arresting undocumented people suspected of crimes and bringing them to justice, no different than anyone else. And, his argument ignores the facts. It is well documented that undocumented immigrants have lower crime rates than U.S. citizens.
Fazio went on to say his bill isn’t “about knocking on every door, schools, or anything like that.” In fact, knocking on “every door” including schools is exactly what President Trump’s executive order allows. By repealing the Trust Act, Fazio’s bill seeks to make Connecticut law enforcement complicit in terrorizing children in the classroom, regardless of their citizenship status.
The improvements to the Trust Act embodied in HB-7212 will send a strong message that Connecticut will protect the safety and humanity of all its residents, regardless of their immigration status.
Jonathan Perloe
Cos Cob