Rep. Watson Coleman Introduces Bill to End Courtroom Immigration Arrests
Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) introduced the Fundamental Immigration Fairness Act (FIFA), legislation that would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from arresting or detaining any individual arriving or departing a DHS field office or the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
“Immigrants attempting to follow immigration laws should not be punished for their good faith efforts,” said Watson Coleman. “The systematic arrest of immigrants attending court hearings and other appointments related to their status violates fundamental values of fairness. These arrests encourage those immigrants attempting to navigate our already broken immigration system to stay in the shadows.”
The Fundamental Immigrant Fairness Act protects due process, promotes trust in the legal system, reduces unnecessary detention of nonviolent individuals, and safeguards their privacy and dignity.
The Fundamental Immigrant Fairness Act is cosponsored by Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large) and Mark Pocan (WI-02).
Text of the bill can be found here.