WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) have introduced legislation aimed at protecting immigrants seeking essential services from immigration enforcement actions. The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act would prevent federal immigration officers from making arrests, conducting interviews, or carrying out surveillance at locations such as hospitals, schools, and courthouses.
Blumenthal emphasized the need for these protections, stating, “Allowing ICE to invade spaces where people access health care, education, justice, and prayer is cruel and unnecessary, as well as a threat to public safety. When people are too frightened to seek medical care or report a crime, the entire community suffers.”
Espaillat, a longtime advocate for immigrant protections, criticized the rollback of previous safeguards under the Trump administration. “Donald Trump has prioritized attacking immigrant families and creating fear throughout our communities,” he said. “This bill will ensure that people can access essential services without the looming threat of deportation.”
The legislation formally codifies long-standing Department of Homeland Security policies that were rescinded by the Trump administration. It expands the definition of “sensitive locations” to include medical facilities, schools, places of worship, courthouses, social security offices, polling places, labor union halls, rape crisis centers, and homeless shelters.
The bill has garnered significant congressional support, with 53 co-sponsors in the House and Senate. It is also backed by over 580 advocacy organizations, including the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
Wendy Cervantes, Director of Immigration and Immigrant Families at CLASP, stressed the importance of these protections. “Without them, parents may be too afraid to take their children to school or a doctor’s appointment,” she said. AFT President Randi Weingarten called for swift passage of the bill, stating, “Schools and hospitals should be safe and welcoming places. This legislation is necessary to reverse a policy that is both cruel and un-American.”
The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act now moves to Congress for further consideration.