South Asheville News

U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) has put forward the Cooperation with ICE Act, a bill aimed at strengthening federal immigration law and preventing state and local governments from obstructing federal immigration enforcement using federal dollars. The proposed legislation would specifically target state and local governments that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or impede the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

According to Congressman Edwards, the top concern expressed by constituents in Western North Carolina is the issue of border security. He believes that the current administration's open-border policies have essentially turned every state into a border state. Edwards asserts that the Cooperation with ICE Act would put an end to the practice of rewarding sanctuary cities with federal funding when they fail to cooperate with ICE or hinder the enforcement of immigration laws.

"These sanctuary cities shield dangerous and violent illegal immigrants, many of whom are reoffenders, from ICE – all on the taxpayers' dime," Congressman Edwards stated. His bill aims to address this issue by withholding funding, specifically from the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), from non-compliant state and local governments. The SSP provides financial assistance to non-federal entities that offer shelter and other eligible services to non-U.S. citizens awaiting immigrant proceedings under the Department of Homeland Security.

The proposed legislation has garnered support from various organizations, including Americans for Legal Immigration. William Gheen, the President of Americans for Legal Immigration, emphasized the need to prevent the misuse of taxpayer funds to attract and support illegal immigrants. He stated, "US taxpayers should not be forced to pay for this politically motivated invasion of our American homeland."

The SSP and its predecessor program, the Emergency Food and Shelter Program – Humanitarian, awarded a total of $788.8 million in state and local grants during fiscal year 2023. This funding included allocations to sanctuary cities like Albuquerque, New Mexico and Riverside County, California. Despite receiving these funds, these cities have chosen not to cooperate with ICE. Consequently, taxpayers bear the financial burden of incarcerating violent aliens and providing court-appointed attorneys, as local governments ignore ICE's requests to hold certain immigrants until they can be taken into federal custody.

The Cooperation with ICE Act seeks to address these concerns and ensure that federal funding is not used to support cities that impede immigration enforcement. It aims to hold state and local governments accountable for their cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The bill has received endorsements from organizations such as Heritage Action and Americans for Legal Immigration, highlighting the growing support for stricter immigration enforcement.

If passed, the Cooperation with ICE Act will have a significant impact on the allocation of federal funds to state and local governments. It represents a step towards safeguarding the nation's borders and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are not used to support cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration laws.

To find out more, go to this link: https://edwards.house.gov/media/press-releases/edwards-federal-dollars-should-not-be-used-block-immigration-enforcement