New Bill Targets Police Employment of Illegal Immigrants

Republican lawmakers are taking steps to prohibit individuals who are in the U.S. illegally from becoming police officers. This legislative move aims to halt federal funding for law enforcement agencies that employ such individuals.

Representative Kat Cammack from Florida introduced the bill this week. She expressed concerns over the difficulties law enforcement has faced recently. “My husband, Matt, is part of the community as a first responder and SWAT medic,” she mentioned, highlighting her connection to law enforcement and the challenges they’ve faced over the past decade.

Cammack articulated her anxieties around the trend of hiring illegal immigrants as officers, which she believes stems from issues related to recruitment and retention. “It’s concerning. The department is driven to hire illegals due to the challenges presented by more progressive approaches,” she added.

Beyond preventing funding for police stations that bring on illegal immigrants, the proposal stipulates that only U.S. citizens can serve as law enforcement officials. This follows an incident where a Jamaican man, who was a reserve officer in Maine, was detained by immigration officials after allegedly attempting to purchase firearms illegally.

John Luke Evans, who overstayed his visa after entering the U.S. legally, claimed he needed the firearms for his role in law enforcement. The police department’s chief stated that Evans had been cleared by the Department of Homeland Security’s e-verify system. However, a DHS Deputy Director criticized the reliance on this program, stating that it does not free the department from its responsibility to properly verify documents.

Interestingly, some states, like California and Colorado, permit non-citizens with work permits to become police officers. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program also aims to protect individuals who entered the U.S. illegally as children from deportation.