Providence officials are slowing down the process of passing an ordinance that seeks to codify protections for immigrants who lack legal status to be in the U.S. The change of course comes in response to a slew of executive orders this week from the federal government and threats to prosecute local officials who resist federal immigration enforcement measures.
The amendments were first introduced by Councilor Justin Roias in a meeting last week. If passed, they would add language to a preexisting ordinance called the “Providence Community-Police Relations Act” that helped cement Providence’s status as a sanctuary city during the last Trump administration.
Among the suggested changes are amendments that prohibit local law enforcement from “proactively” providing federal law enforcement agents with information that could lead to legal actions against someone who is in the country without documentation when the agents don’t have a judicial warrant.
Under the proposed change, police could still offer information about immigrants who lack legal status and who have also committed felonies. The amended language would also prohibit people who run Providence schools, places of worship, health facilities and courts from allowing federal immigration agents on their property without a judicial warrant for the purpose of prosecuting immigrants for being in the country without documentation.
Roias says he wants to delay pursuing the changes to consider whether the amendments could have the opposite effect of what supporters initially intended.
This story was reported by The Public’s Radio. You can read the entire story here.
