Dear Representative:
On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to oppose the Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act (H.R. 7640). This bill would hurt working families by threatening jobs, public safety and rule of law around the country.
Despite being promoted as a vehicle to increase public safety, H.R. 7640 would have quite the opposite effect. Put simply, when working people fear immigration consequences for engaging with local authorities, they are less likely to report crimes. In just one alarming illustration of the far reaching consequences of this approach, a recent study1 of counties that actively cooperate with federal immigration enforcement documented a nearly 50 percent drop in reporting of workplace health and safety violations in key industries, and a corresponding increase in workplace injuries by roughly 24 percent. Clearly, when we allow conditions in which workers are afraid to file claims, we endanger workers physically and deepen the risk of other workplace crimes such as wage theft, discrimination and sexual harassment, which are already far too common.
The provisions in this bill pose direct threats to state’s rights and local autonomy by forcing state and local agencies to use their already limited resources to enforce federal immigration laws; by exposing localities to expensive private lawsuits in order to pressure them into taking on more punitive policies; and by attempting to overrule all existing laws that limit the use of state and local resources for federal immigration enforcement. Rather than keeping families safe, this bill will force localities to compromise their mandates to enforce public safety, health, labor, education, and other laws in order to do the bidding of an agency that already has a budget bigger than all but 15 of the world’s largest militaries.
In addition, this bill would jeopardize vital services in jurisdictions that encourage all their residents to report crime or threats to public and workplace safety by withholding funds that are crucial to the wellbeing of working families, and also a critical source of employment for workers across the country. In other words, H.R. 7640 threatens to put lawfully employed people, who serve vital roles in our communities, out of work.
Eroding trust in local law enforcement creates an environment of impunity for abuses that makes all of us less safe on the job and in the community. Forcing immigration enforcement presence into all aspects of public life will lead us to see more illness, injustice, and exploitation in our communities. Rather than deterring crimes, this bill would deter reporting of crimes and reduce the likelihood of consequences for those who commit them. This approach would jeopardize safety not just in our workplaces, but also in public institutions such as schools, hospitals, and courthouses that serve essential societal functions.
1 See W.E. Upjohn Institute Working Paper: When Labor Enforcement and Immigration Enforcement Collide: Deterring Worker Complaints Worsens Workplace Safety
Working people are the ones who will suffer if lawmakers withhold funds from jurisdictions that commit to serve and protect all community members. This bill puts jobs and vital programs at risk, undermines sensible law enforcement strategies proven to promote safer and healthier communities for all, and fails to address the public’s concern with violence and chaos in our communities. Immigration enforcement is important, but single-mindedly prioritizing it over public safety and other law enforcement, as this bill does, is a terrible mistake.
We urge you to protect jobs, families, and public safety by voting NO on the Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act.
Sincerely,
Jody Calemine
Director, Government Affairs