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Statement of Introduction Safe Community Places and Policing Amendment Act of 2025 December 15, 2025 Today, alongside Councilmembers Nadeau, R. White, Allen, and Parker, I am proud to introduce the Safe Community Places and Policing Amendment Act of 2025. The bill ensures that the District’s policies reflect our values and public safety priorities by prohibiting the District from engaging in immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant or court order. The bill would also prohibit the District from transporting federal agency officers for purposes of civil immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant or court order. Additionally, it would designate essential service locations such as schools, day cares, health care providers, recreation centers, shelters, and more as “Safe Community Places” and prohibit joint District and federal immigration enforcement operations at those locations unless a judicial warrant or exigent circumstances exist. The bill also requires the District to train employees on these new protections to ensure consistent implementation across agencies. The visibility of Metropolitan Police Department officers alongside federal agents during the ongoing federal occupation has led to a pervasive feeling of fear and uncertainty among residents, schools, and service providers. In testimony before the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety on December 4, 2025, numerous residents testified that they have seen federal agents riding along in the backseat of Metropolitan Police Department vehicles. Residents also testified that MPD officers have been present alongside federal agents carrying out immigration enforcement activities. Studies have shown that crime is under-reported to the police by both the immigrant and Latino communities when local law enforcement coordinates with federal immigration enforcement, 1 which makes it more challenging for local police to address crime and protect vulnerable populations. At a time when community trust is already fragile, it is essential that District resources are not used to facilitate federal enforcement actions that fall outside the District’s priorities or values, or that make our communities less safe. By creating clear boundaries around District cooperation with federal agencies, the Safe Community Places and Policing Amendment Act of 2025 ensures that the District prioritizes local safety and strengthens community trust. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this legislation. 1 Dhingra, R., Kilborn, M. & Woldemikael, O. Immigration Policies and Access to the Justice System: The Effect of Enforcement Escalations on Undocumented Immigrants and Their Communities. Polit Behav 44, 1359–1387 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-020-09663-w
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1 2 _____________________________ _____________________________ 3 Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Janeese Lewis George 4 5 6 _____________________________ _____________________________ 7 Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 8 9 10 _____________________________ 11 Councilmember Zachary Parker 12 A BILL 13 14 15 _________ 16 17 18 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 19 20 __________________ 21 22 23 To amend An Act To create a Department of Corrections in the District of Columbia to limit 24 District transportation assistance for federal agency operations, including civil 25 immigration enforcement and law enforcement operations, at safe community places. 26 27 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 28 act may be cited as the “Safe Community Places and Policing Amendment Act of 2025”. 29 Sec. 2. An Act To create a Department of Corrections in the District of Columbia, 30 effective approved June 27, 1946 (60 Stat. 320; D.C. Official Code § 24-211.01 et seq.), is 31 amended by adding a new section 7a to read as follows: 32 “Sec. 7a. Limitations on the transport of federal agency officers and coordinated police 33 activity. 34 (a) Absent a judicial warrant or order issued by a federal judge appointed pursuant to 35 Article III of the United States Constitution or a federal magistrate judge appointed pursuant to 36
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28 U.S.C. § 631 that authorizes a federal agency to take into custody the person who is the 37 subject of such warrant or order, the District of Columbia shall not assist in: 38 “(1) Providing transportation to an agent of a federal agency for purposes of 39 immigration enforcement in a District-owned or operated vehicle, except mass public transit; 40 “(2) Conducting surveillance or patrol operations as part of any civil immigration 41 enforcement activity; or 42 “(3)(A) Conducting immigration law enforcement operations, absent exigent 43 circumstances, in coordination with federal agencies or executed in whole or part by federal 44 authorities or out-of-state authorities at safe community places. 45 “(B) For purposes of this paragraph, the term “safe community places” 46 means: 47 “(i) A hospital or other facility providing healthcare or behavioral 48 health services; 49 “(ii) A school, daycare, or pre-school; 50 “(iii) A library; 51 “(iv) A designated disaster and emergency response site; 52 “(v) A courthouse or family court self-help center; 53 “(vi) A housing service provider, housing facility, shelter or day 54 center, rape crisis center, domestic violence shelter, or human trafficking service provider; 55 “(vii) A Department of Human Services office; 56 “(viii) The DC WIC clinic; 57
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“(ix) A family support collaborative or any neighborhood 58 collaborative in partnership with the Child and Family Services Agency through the Healthy 59 Families/Thriving Communities Collaborative; 60 “(x) A legal service provider; 61 “(xi) A District-operated park or recreation center; 62 “(xi) A community resource center; or 63 “(xii) Any other location designated by the Office of the Attorney 64 General; 65 “(b) The District shall conduct trainings of its employees on compliance with the 66 provisions in this section.”. 67 Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 68 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 69 impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 70 approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 71 Sec. 4. Effective date. 72 This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 73 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 60-day period of congressional review 74 as provided in section 602(c)(2) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 75 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(2)). 76