(The Center Square) – Raids by ICE enforcement that captured so much media attention Thursday may pale by comparison to the litigation possibilities opened by a bill from a North Carolina senator.
Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities would permit victims, and families of victims, to sue for compensatory damages against a state or political subdivision of a state. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis authored the bill and introduced it Wednesday with fellow North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd and nine other cosponsors.
“For far too long, we have watched local jurisdictions in North Carolina and across the country ignore the lawful notification and detainer requests made by ICE agents and instead release dangerous criminals back into their communities, putting innocent lives at risk,” Tillis said. “I am committed to working with President Trump to end illegal immigration and fight sanctuary cities that prioritize reckless, lawless policies over public safety.
“It is clear that liberal politicians want to put political ideology ahead of the safety of their constituents. It is time for Congress to step in and hold sanctuary cities accountable.”
ICE is the acronym for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
North Carolina lawmakers at the end of last year, by veto override, enacted a state law requiring all 100 county sheriffs to cooperate with ICE.
Republicans have majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives. Second-term Republican President Donald Trump, roaring into the White House like a freight train, has spent his first four days reversing numerous policies and acts of the Biden and Obama administrations, with open national borders a chief priority.
A release from Tillis says the bill would establish “a private right of action for any individual, spouse, parent or child who is a victim of murder, rape or any felony (as defined by the state), to bring an action against a state or political subdivision of a state if the entity declined to honor a lawful immigration detainer request for an alien by the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, this legislation would require a state or political subdivision of a state to waive immunity as a condition of receiving certain federal grants.”
As of Thursday afternoon, the other nine cosponsors included no Democrats among Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Katie Boyd Britt of Alabama, Ted Cruz of Texas, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Dr. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Tim Sheehy of Montana and Mike Rounds of South Dakota.