ESPAILLAT AND BLUMENTHAL TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO PROTECT SENSITIVE LOCATIONS FROM IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

WASHINGTON, DC -- -- Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), along with House co-leads, Reps. Sylvia Garcia, Suzanne Bonamici, Chuy Garcia, Pramila Jayapal, Don Beyer, and Delia C. Ramierz, announced their intent to reintroduce the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, for the 119th Congress. This legislation would codify protections for immigrant communities at sensitive locations where they are at their most vulnerable including health care facilities like hospitals, schools, courthouses, and places of worship. 

“The Trump Administration has made clear its intentions of targeting immigrant communities, especially with his recent announcement to revoke the policy that barred immigration arrests and enforcement near sensitive locations. Our bicameral bill, the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, is needed more today than ever as immigrant communities face threats of indiscriminate raids and other challenges,” said Espaillat. “The Trump Administration is playing political games with innocent lives amid a culture of fear and scare tactics that prevent immigrants from leaving their homes to seek essential government services, receive life-saving medical care, attend places of worship, and more. Our bill would codify commonsense protections to ensure immigrant communities are not targeted at these sensitive locations.” 

"The Trump Administration's new edict revoking protections for immigrants at churches, hospitals, court houses, and other sensitive locations is a direct threat to public safety. When people are too frightened to seek medical care or report a crime, the entire community suffers,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “Why are we focusing our limited resources on parishioners and the parents of sick children?"
 

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his third term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Second Vice Chair and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he serves as Deputy Whip. Representative Espaillat also currently serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov