Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) recently cosponsored the Respect for Local Communities Act, which requires the Federal government to secure written approval from state and local governments before opening new immigration detention or processing facilities.
By cosponsoring this bill, Sen. Ossoff intends to support the City of Social Circle, GA, which opposes plans laid down by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. The Senator accused the Trump Administration of working in secret despite local opposition.
“For months, the Social Circle community has been clear in its opposition to this administration’s proposed ICE detention facility, which local leaders have warned risks overwhelming the city’s infrastructure,” Sen. Ossoff said. “Yet despite clear local opposition, this administration’s plans and intentions have been shrouded in secrecy without any local input. This bill will require the Federal government to get local agreement before building such facilities.”
The Bill
First introduced by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), the bill imposes strict requirements on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
For example, the bill would prevent the DHS from beginning the construction, acquisition, or renovation of any new ICE detention or processing centers without securing consent from local officials.
The centers must also meet certain requirements, including conducting public engineering, environmental, and economic impact assessments.
When attempting to acquire or renovate centers, the DHS must issue a public notice that remains open for comment for thirty days. This notice must include a detailed scope of the operation and explanations for how the plans conform to environmental and detention standards.
Following this, the relevant federal agency must address the feedback in accordance with federal code. The agency must then sign a written agreement with the Governor and appropriate local officials.
Congress must then be notified of the agreement, and a report must be submitted to six specific House and Senate committees. The agency then must wait at least thirty days before proceeding with its plans.
The legislation has been referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for review.
