2026 -- H 7077

========

LC003201

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

____________

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONDEMNING UNCONSTITUTIONAL TACTICS BY U.S. IMMIGRATION AND

CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND BEYOND

     Introduced By: Representatives Knight, Speakman, Caldwell, Felix, Potter, Shanley,
Donovan, Boylan, Batista, and Cortvriend

     Date Introduced: January 14, 2026

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island is home to over 150,000 foreign-born immigrants that are

indelible to our State, and face undue risks to their safety and peace-of-mind from rogue federal

law enforcement; and

     WHEREAS, Undocumented immigrants and their children are longstanding members of

Rhode Island's communities who contribute to the State's economy, culture, hospitals, small

businesses, schools, and civic life, and whose well-being is integral to the well-being of all Rhode

Islanders; and

     WHEREAS, On Veterans Day, suspected United States Immigration and Customs

Enforcement (ICE) agents appeared on Water Street in Warren, Rhode Island, remaining for

hours in unmarked vehicles without notifying local police. An employee of Blount Fine Foods

was forcibly removed from his car and ultimately detained for removal from the country, causing

distress throughout the community; and

     WHEREAS, Since early 2025, ICE has conducted nationwide military-style immigration

raids and arrests at work sites, public spaces, and private homes, creating a climate of fear among

immigrants dropping their children off at school, going to work, attending faith services, seeking

medical or emergency services, or shopping for essential needs. In addition to undocumented

immigrants, ICE has unlawfully detained legal permanent residents, Dreamers (recipients of

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), and full U.S. citizens; and

     WHEREAS, ICE agents have detained individuals using unmarked vehicles and while

wearing plain clothes and facial coverings which actions have caused deliberate confusion and

eroded community trust of law enforcement. Studies show that localized immigration tactics

reduce the willingness of Latino and immigrant communities to report a crime by over 40 percent

due to fear of discriminate treatment and reduce trust in local law enforcement officers by

undocumented individuals by over one-third; and

     WHEREAS, ICE agents have increasingly conducted enforcement operations outside

Rhode Island courthouses and targeted individuals, both litigants and witnesses, immediately

after court appearances. This practice occurring nationwide is widely criticized by legal experts

for frightening at-risk populations from attending court and harming public participation in the

legal system, thus jeopardizing the comprehensiveness of Rhode Island's Judiciary; and

     WHEREAS, Cruel and unusual detainment tactics and the concealment of ICE agents'

identities are not requisite for effective, comprehensive immigration enforcement or public safety,

as prior Presidential Administrations successfully fulfilled ICE's mission with comparable levels

of deportations while prioritizing known criminals. Recent data show that the Trump

Administration's approach has in fact reduced the share of undocumented detainees with criminal

convictions from 65 percent in October 2024, to 35 percent in September 2025, while

dramatically increasing arrests of individuals with only immigration-related violations, rising

from 6 percent to 35 percent over the same period, thereby demonstrating that public safety has

historically been achieved without the unconstitutional concealment tactics now employed; and

     WHEREAS, Aggressive immigration enforcement tactics have placed in harm's way

communities, local police officers, and ICE agents themselves. Concealment tactics make

community members uncertain if ICE agents are legitimate officials or impersonators, hurting

transparency, accountability, and due process, and leading to heightened fear and confrontation

during encounters with law enforcement; and

     WHEREAS, ICE has engaged in unrestrained immigration enforcement operations that

have included the detention of juveniles and mixed-status families across the country, causing

severe trauma to children, disrupting Rhode Island households, and undermining long-standing

federal practices that prioritize the protection and humane treatment of minors; now, therefore be

it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

strongly condemns anonymized, violent, and unconstitutional federal immigration enforcement

tactics against our communities and communities across the country, and opposes any future mass

immigration raids or fear tactics against immigrant workers and families; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this House hereby affirms its commitment to safeguarding the rights

LC003201 - Page 2 of 3

and safety of all Rhode Islanders, regardless of immigration status, by upholding the fundamental

principles of equal treatment, due process, and civil liberties under the law; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Honorable Governor of the State of Rhode

Island, Daniel J. McKee, and the Honorable Attorney General of the State of Rhode Island, Peter

Neronha, the Rhode Island Senate, and the City or Town Council of each of Rhode Island's

municipalities.

========

LC003201

========

LC003201 - Page 3 of 3