Indiana House approves bill tying state funding to immigration enforcement
The Indiana House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday tying state funding for local governmental bodies to their cooperation in the enforcement of federal immigration law despite arguments from some Democrats who said they could not support the measure.
House Bill 1531 passed the full chamber with a 64-26 vote after a brief discussion involving Union City Republican State Rep. J.D. Prescott, whose name is on the bill, and Democrats who sit on the House judiciary committee with him. The bill will now move to the Senate.
The sweeping measure addresses the enforcement of federal immigration law by state and local government, law enforcement and businesses. A section requiring schools to report information on undocumented students was removed before HB 1531 made its way to the House floor. Prescott worked with the attorney general's office to craft the 14-section bill.
It does not impact legal immigration, he said.
Prescott previously said the bill addresses "bad-actor" employers who engage in labor trafficking by hiring people unauthorized to work in the United States over Hoosiers and holds governmental agencies accountable if they restrict the enforcement of immigration orders. It also strengthens Attorney General Todd Rokita's ability to enforce existing Indiana law banning sanctuary cities.
Dozens of people spoke out against the bill on Monday as the House's judiciary committee weighed the measure. Clergy, educators, nonprofit workers and others argued the bill encourages discrimination, racial profiling and contributes to an atmosphere of hostility toward immigrants. After that meeting, some expressed disappointment that the committee still voted to send the measure to the full House for a vote.
More: Bill penalizing cities and law enforcement for not enforcing immigration laws advances
There were no outward displays of approval or disapproval from people watching the House discussion from the hallway on Thursday.
Neither the Indiana Chamber nor the Indiana Sheriffs' Association has taken a favorable position on the bill.
Rep. Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend, told the full House she is concerned about how the bill was crafted and its impact on already-stretched law enforcement agencies. "The enforcement of federal immigration laws is intensive and costly," she said, noting the bill threatens essential funding of local governments for up to a year and even jeopardizes dedicated federal grants.
More: Indianapolis police chief: Immigration sweeps 'not our role'
Rep. Ryan Dvorak, D-South Bend, questioned whether the bill actually penalized businesses for recruiting and hiring undocumented workers or if the civil enforcement mechanism in the bill gives them a slap on the wrist. "It doesn't go after the actual cause of most of the illegal immigration seen in the state of Indiana," he said.
Both are members of the judiciary committee.
Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn, D-Fishers. told the full House she could not support the bill due to its potential unintended consequences. Garcia Wilburn, another judiciary committee member, said the bill threatens Hoosier hospitality and the idea of Indiana as a welcoming state. It needs more work, Garcia Wilburn said.
"We need to proceed with caution, ladies and gentlemen," she said. "When our constituents are communicating to us 'they are against all immigration,' I'm worried about the message this body is sending."
Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Alexandria Burris at aburris@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana House passes immigration bill tying state money to enforcement
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