Dear Representative:
On behalf of the 63 affiliated unions of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to oppose the No Bailout For Sanctuary Cities Act (H.R. 32). This bill would threaten jobs, public safety and working families around the country by placing unreasonable and non-germaine conditions on billions of dollars in federal funds for essential services.
Immigration enforcement is important, but singlemindedly prioritizing it over public safety and other law enforcement, as this bill does, is a terrible mistake.
Despite being promoted as a vehicle to reduce crime, this bill 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.
Eroding trust in local law enforcement creates an environment of impunity for abusers 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, H.R. 32 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.
Forcing state and local agencies to compromise their mandates to enforce public safety, health, labor, education, and other laws and devote already strained resources to federal immigration priorities also undermines states’ rights and local autonomy. This bill would jeopardize support for vital services in jurisdictions that encourage all their residents to report crime or threats to public and workplace safety. For most local and state programs to be successful, it is critical that they extend to all community members, without exception. Creating exclusions based on immigration status would be unworkable, undesirable, and counter to the public good.
Yet H.R. 32 threatens to cut off federal funding for many of these vital services including education programs and grants for schools; food and nutrition programs such as the National School Lunch Program and funding for food banks; FEMA assistance; emergency Medicaid and funding for some public hospitals; transportation programs; programs for victims of domestic violence; and countless other programs on which our communities rely. These programs are not only crucial to the wellbeing of working families, but also a critical source of employment for tens of thousands of workers across the country. In other words, H.R. 32 threatens to put lawfully employed people, who serve vital roles in our communities, out of work.
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, and undermines sensible law enforcement strategies proven to promote safer and healthier communities for all.
We urge you to protect jobs, families, and public safety by voting NO on H.R. 32.
Sincerely,
Jody Calemine
Director, Government Affairs
1 See W.E. Upjohn Institute Working Paper: When Labor Enforcement and Immigration Enforcement Collide: Deterring Worker Complaints Worsens Workplace Safety