BOISE — The American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho condemns the handful of anti-immigrant bills that have been introduced in the Idaho legislature this legislative session.
House Bill 11, House Bill 83, and Senate Bill 1039 are all aimed at increasing local law enforcement’s authority to act as federal immigration agents and criminalizing immigrants’ existence; House Bill 135 proposes taking away public assistance from immigrants and their families. The ACLU of Idaho strongly opposes all these bills.
“These bills are unconstitutional and harmful,” said Paul Carlos Southwick, ACLU of Idaho Legal Director. “H.B. 83 is a copycat of Texas Senate Bill 4, which the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals prevented from going into effect. That court held that Congress has precluded any state regulation regarding immigration, ‘even if it is parallel to federal standards.’ For these reasons, H.B. 83 is a doomed piece of legislation that will not hold up in court.”
Additionally, the ACLU of Idaho supports the immigrant and Latino community’s pushback on these bills.
“Criminalizing the mere presence of undocumented individuals without legal or work authorization is deplorable and heavily steeped in racism,” said Ruby Mendez-Mota, ACLU of Idaho Campaign Strategist. “The bill sponsors claim that bills like H.B. 83 only target people who have already allegedly committed crimes, but history shows that the application of laws like this only serves to foster false allegations and racial profiling. Our community is tired and angry at being labeled criminals deserving of suspicious scrutiny for simply living and working in Idaho. It is textbook racism, and we deserve better.”
“Twenty years ago, immigrant communities in Idaho were pushing for basic respect and dignity, and the struggle continues today at a heightened level with political leaders pushing legislation that erodes fundamental constitutional rights of immigrant communities,” said Leo Morales, ACLU of Idaho Executive Director. “The ACLU of Idaho urges state legislators to stop all anti-immigrant bills; they do more harm than good for all Idahoans. Idaho lawmakers should consider both the legal issues as well as the negative cultural and social impacts to a significant portion of Idaho’s population.”
