Jonathan Jacobson

Dear Neighbor,

Today, I supported HB 7212, a bill that strengthens Connecticut's TRUST Act and reinforces our commitment to due process, fairness, and community.

The current TRUST Act prohibits state and local law enforcement from detaining or assisting federal immigration authorities with the detention of someone solely based on a civil immigration detainer, unless such person has been convicted of a class A or B felony.

In light of the horror stories we have seen across the country of individuals being ripped away from their families and communities without ever being convicted of a crime and without due process, I proudly voted today to strengthen Connecticut’s TRUST Act.

Among the new protections HB 7212 would add are:

• No ICE Arrests in our Courthouses: Guarantee due process for victims, defendants, and anyone who uses our courts by prohibiting ICE from abducting someone inside of or traveling to and from our courthouses without a judicial warrant.
• Enforcement Mechanism: Adds an important enforcement mechanism for municipalities that willfully violate the provisions of the TRUST Act.
• Tightening Existing Protections: Importantly, as we have seen ICE get more aggressive in their approach, the bill closes gaps in the existing law to make sure public agencies are not unnecessarily sharing information about Connecticut residents without their consent, and includes more public officials like juvenile probation officers who were left out of the existing law.
• Prohibition on State Contractors: Prohibits awarding of state contracts to anyone if they are contracting with federal immigration enforcement for the purposes of detaining, holding, or transporting someone who is subject to the protections afforded by the TRUST Act.
• Transparency: The bill adds new reporting requirements for public agencies that get requests for information from ICE so that the legislature and the public knows what is happening in our state and can inform how we help our residents.

Above all, HB 7212 ensures that our residents are guaranteed their due process rights, ensures that our law enforcement officers are free to do their jobs, while making sure that those convicted of serious felonies can be safely removed from our communities.  

Sincerely,

Jonathan Jacobson
State Representative