H 8140Police & Prisons

State Affairs and Government - Limitations on Immigration Enforcement Cooperation

This bill bans local police from performing federal immigration enforcement duties or using local funds for such activities.

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Affected

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Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation prohibits Rhode Island law enforcement agencies from acting as federal immigration agents. Specifically, it bans state and local police from entering into agreements (such as 287(g) agreements) that delegate federal immigration enforcement powers to them. Police are forbidden from arresting or detaining individuals based solely on administrative warrants or immigration detainers. Furthermore, the bill prevents the use of local tax dollars, personnel, or equipment for civil immigration enforcement. However, police may still cooperate with federal authorities regarding criminal investigations unrelated to immigration status or when presented with a valid judicial warrant.

For younger readers

This new rule tells local police officers in Rhode Island that they cannot do the job of federal immigration officers. Federal immigration officers are the people who check to see if someone has the right paperwork to live in the United States. This bill says that local police must focus on solving local crimes and cannot use their money or time to arrest people just because they might not have the correct immigration papers. However, if a judge signs a special order, the police are still allowed to help.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Undocumented ImmigrantsState Law Enforcement AgenciesMunicipal Police DepartmentsFederal Immigration AuthoritiesTaxpayers

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Protects immigrant communities from racial profiling and unwarranted detention, fostering greater trust between residents and local law enforcement which encourages victims and witnesses to report crimes without fear of deportation.
Prevents the use of local public resources and tax dollars to enforce federal civil immigration policies, ensuring that community funds are prioritized for local needs and social services rather than deportation efforts.
Upholds due process and civil liberties by ensuring that individuals are not detained solely on administrative requests or detainers that have not been reviewed or signed by a judge.
The exception for "valid judicial warrants" could still be utilized broadly by federal authorities to utilize local police for enforcement, potentially limiting the bill's total protective scope.
The requirement to document and publish statistics on federal requests could inadvertently provide data that hostile political actors might use to target the state or specific communities for political retribution.
Does not explicitly prohibit the sharing of information or databases with federal agencies, leaving a potential loophole for digital cooperation even if physical detention is restricted.

For Conservatives

Asserts state sovereignty and local control by refusing to allow the federal government to commandeer state employees and resources to perform federal duties.
Protects local taxpayers by ensuring that municipal funds are spent on local law enforcement priorities rather than subsidizing the operational costs of federal agencies.
Increases government transparency by mandating that law enforcement agencies track and publish data regarding how often federal authorities are requesting local assistance.
Undermines the rule of law by preventing local police from assisting in the removal of individuals who have violated federal immigration statutes, effectively making Rhode Island a "sanctuary state."
Could compromise public safety by releasing individuals subject to immigration detainers back into the community rather than holding them for federal authorities.
May encourage increased illegal immigration to the state by signaling that local law enforcement will not cooperate with federal deportation efforts.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 26 additions

SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 42-169-1. Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) “Federal immigration authority” means any officer, employee, or agent of a federal agency charged with enforcement of civil immigration laws.

(2) “Immigration detainer” means a request from a federal immigration authority to maintain custody of an individual for immigration enforcement purposes.

(3) “287(g) agreement” means any agreement authorized under 8 U.S.C. §1357(g) delegating immigration enforcement powers to state or local officers.

(4) “Law enforcement agency” means any state or municipal law enforcement agency or correctional facility in the State of Rhode Island. 42-169-2. Prohibition on 287(g) agreements. No state or local law enforcement agency shall enter into, renew, or participate in a 287(g) agreement or any substantially similar agreement delegating federal immigration enforcement authority to a state or local law enforcement officer. 42-169-3. Detainers and administrative warrants. No law enforcement agency shall arrest or detain an individual based solely on an immigration detainer or administrative warrant. 42-169-4. Use of resources. No law enforcement agency shall use funds, personnel, property, or equipment to investigate, interrogate, or detain a person solely for civil immigration enforcement. 42-169-5. Exceptions. Nothing in this chapter prohibits cooperation related to criminal investigations unrelated to immigration status or compliance with a valid judicial warrant or order. 42-169-6. Records and transparency. Law enforcement agencies shall document any request from a federal immigration authority and publish annual statistics on the number and type of requests received.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.