For decades, Wyoming municipalities have had the right to make decisions about how to use taxpayer money and protect their residents. But House Bill 133 would eliminate that right.
The ACLU of Wyoming opposes House Bill 133, legislation that would prohibit towns, cities, and counites in Wyoming from declaring themselves as “sanctuary cities,” and would require cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The bill is scheduled to be discussed in the House Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee after the noon recess today.
Like other “anti-sanctuary city” bills around the country, House Bill 133 would force local law enforcement to act like federal immigration agents, and it would punish towns and cities that choose not to do so by withholding all state and state-administered federal funds.
“While there are no sanctuary cities or counties in Wyoming, local governments should not face reprisals for focusing on local community needs and using taxpayer money responsibly instead of helping to deport and detain community members,” said Antonio Serrano, ACLU of Wyoming advocacy director. “House Bill 133 will make immigrants feel less welcome in Wyoming. We will all be better off if the legislature rejects this bill.”
Immigration enforcement is a federal issue, not a local or state one, and federal law does not require cities to help with immigration enforcement. House Bill 133 would allow local police to ignore local community needs and divert taxpayer money to helping deport and detain our community members for Immigration Customs and Enforcement.
About the ACLU of Wyoming
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of Wyoming is part of a three-state chapter that also includes North Dakota and South Dakota. The team in Wyoming is supported by staff in those states.
The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people. In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women, and the LGBTQ communities. The ACLU of Wyoming carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level, and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of Wyoming.
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