SENATE DEMOCRATS’ ICE OVERSIGHT BILL RECEIVES OVERWHELMING PUBLIC SUPPORT AT TODAY’S HEARING

HARTFORD – By a margin of 32:1, Connecticut residents made their voices heard today at a public hearing in support of a Senate Democrats’ bill that will rein in the Constitutional abuses of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and seek to hold them legally accountable for any crimes that they commit against Connecticut citizens.

Senate Bill 397, “AN ACT CONCERNING DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY,” received its public hearing today before the Judiciary Committee, and the public support for it – in response to recent ICE agent murders of American citizens in Minneapolis – was broad and deep.

“Over the past year, we have seen sharp escalations in federal immigration enforcement across the country, often accompanied by a disregard for Constitutional rights and the rule of law,” said Peter Benner of West Hartford. “Senate Bill 397 is a necessary safeguard to protect all residents from federal overreach.”

“We must protect students and families from the lawlessness that we are witnessing across the country. All people deserve due process and freedom from fear of being rounded up,” testified Michele Greenburg of Greenwich. “Connecticut should be a model to establish protected areas and limit surveillance and access to immigrant communities. Connecticut needs to hold government officials accountable when they violate our constitutional rights. Please do the right thing!”

“For the safety of everyone in Connecticut, we need to ensure residents can safely and reliably pray, attend school and receive medical care. Law enforcement must protect and serve, not intimidate, injure, and murder,” testified Judith Murphy of Guilford. “Connecticut existed long before there was a federal government. Connecticut has no reason to forfeit power or authority to unaccountable federal agents.”

The written testimony can be accessed here.

Senate Bill 397 is a multi-pronged effort to contain ICE lawlessness and hold bad ICE agents accountable in ways they have not been held accountable to date. The bill:

• Holds any federal, state, or municipal law enforcement officer liable for constitutional violations;
• Allows Connecticut’s attorney general to bring action against any law enforcement officer violating constitutional rights;
• Clarifies that the state inspector general has the authority to investigate any law enforcement officer who uses deadly force – including federal officers;
• Guarantees that the state inspector general and the state Division of Criminal Justice have the right to access crime scenes and evidence related to a law enforcement officer’s use of deadly force – thereby circumventing any lack of investigation by the federal Department of Justice;
• Creates a state database tracking ICE conduct, with various state agencies recording weekly data of immigration and enforcement actions in Connecticut;
• Bans all law enforcement officers from wearing masks while interacting with the public;
• Requires all law enforcement officers to clearly be identified with a badge and a name tag;
• Requires the governor’s permission before any armed military force enters Connecticut for military purposes, and;
• If a civil ICE arrest occurs in protected areas such as hospitals, schools, homeless shelters and churches – there must be a signed judicial warrant. If not, the victim can sue for damages in state court.

“We are living through an unprecedented time with the head of our Executive Branch having pushed our legal system to its breaking point. For the first time in American history, the Executive Branch has deployed ICE agents against American citizens and residents without regard for what were once considered inalienable, constitutional rights—the Fourth Amendment right against searches and seizures without a warrant, the First Amendment right to videotape law enforcement officers interacting with the public, the Eighth Amendment right to not endure cruel and unusual punishment, the Fifth Amendment right to due process, and the First Amendment right to peaceful protest,” testified Senate Majority leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk), who is one of the main proponents of the bill. “For these reasons, I strongly support this critical bill which will ensure that all law enforcement officials—local, state, and federal—are equally held accountable for violating the rights of our citizens.”

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