HOUSE RESOLUTION CONDEMNING UNCONSTITUTIONAL TACTICS BY U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND BEYOND

H7077

2026 -- H 7077
========
LC003201
========

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
CONDEMNING UNCONSTITUTIONAL TACTICS BY U.S. IMMIGRATION AND
CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND BEYOND

Introduced By:
Representatives Knight, Speakman, Caldwell, Felix, Potter, Shanley,
Donovan, Boylan, Batista, and Cortvriend

Date Introduced:
January 14, 2026

Referred To:
House Judiciary
1
WHEREAS, Rhode Island is home to over 150,000 foreign-born immigrants that are
2
indelible to our State, and face undue risks to their safety and peace-of-mind from rogue federal
3
law enforcement; and
4
WHEREAS, Undocumented immigrants and their children are longstanding members of
5
Rhode Island's communities who contribute to the State's economy, culture, hospitals, small
6
businesses, schools, and civic life, and whose well-being is integral to the well-being of all Rhode
7
Islanders; and
8
WHEREAS, On Veterans Day, suspected United States Immigration and Customs
9
Enforcement (ICE) agents appeared on Water Street in Warren, Rhode Island, remaining for
10
hours in unmarked vehicles without notifying local police. An employee of Blount Fine Foods
11
was forcibly removed from his car and ultimately detained for removal from the country, causing
12
distress throughout the community; and
13
WHEREAS, Since early 2025, ICE has conducted nationwide military-style immigration
14
raids and arrests at work sites, public spaces, and private homes, creating a climate of fear among
15
immigrants dropping their children off at school, going to work, attending faith services, seeking
16
medical or emergency services, or shopping for essential needs. In addition to undocumented
17
immigrants, ICE has unlawfully detained legal permanent residents, Dreamers (recipients of
18
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), and full U.S. citizens; and
19
WHEREAS, ICE agents have detained individuals using unmarked vehicles and while

1
wearing plain clothes and facial coverings which actions have caused deliberate confusion and
2
eroded community trust of law enforcement. Studies show that localized immigration tactics
3
reduce the willingness of Latino and immigrant communities to report a crime by over 40 percent
4
due to fear of discriminate treatment and reduce trust in local law enforcement officers by
5
undocumented individuals by over one-third; and
6
WHEREAS, ICE agents have increasingly conducted enforcement operations outside
7
Rhode Island courthouses and targeted individuals, both litigants and witnesses, immediately
8
after court appearances. This practice occurring nationwide is widely criticized by legal experts
9
for frightening at-risk populations from attending court and harming public participation in the
10
legal system, thus jeopardizing the comprehensiveness of Rhode Island's Judiciary; and
11
WHEREAS, Cruel and unusual detainment tactics and the concealment of ICE agents'
12
identities are not requisite for effective, comprehensive immigration enforcement or public safety,
13
as prior Presidential Administrations successfully fulfilled ICE's mission with comparable levels
14
of deportations while prioritizing known criminals. Recent data show that the Trump
15
Administration's approach has in fact reduced the share of undocumented detainees with criminal
16
convictions from 65 percent in October 2024, to 35 percent in September 2025, while
17
dramatically increasing arrests of individuals with only immigration-related violations, rising
18
from 6 percent to 35 percent over the same period, thereby demonstrating that public safety has
19
historically been achieved without the unconstitutional concealment tactics now employed; and
20
WHEREAS, Aggressive immigration enforcement tactics have placed in harm's way
21
communities, local police officers, and ICE agents themselves. Concealment tactics make
22
community members uncertain if ICE agents are legitimate officials or impersonators, hurting
23
transparency, accountability, and due process, and leading to heightened fear and confrontation
24
during encounters with law enforcement; and
25
WHEREAS, ICE has engaged in unrestrained immigration enforcement operations that
26
have included the detention of juveniles and mixed-status families across the country, causing
27
severe trauma to children, disrupting Rhode Island households, and undermining long-standing
28
federal practices that prioritize the protection and humane treatment of minors; now, therefore be
29
it
30
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby
31
strongly condemns anonymized, violent, and unconstitutional federal immigration enforcement
32
tactics against our communities and communities across the country, and opposes any future mass
33
immigration raids or fear tactics against immigrant workers and families; and be it further
34
RESOLVED, That this House hereby affirms its commitment to safeguarding the rights

LC003201 - Page 2 of 3
1
and safety of all Rhode Islanders, regardless of immigration status, by upholding the fundamental
2
principles of equal treatment, due process, and civil liberties under the law; and be it further
3
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to
4
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Honorable Governor of the State of Rhode
5
Island, Daniel J. McKee, and the Honorable Attorney General of the State of Rhode Island, Peter
6
Neronha, the Rhode Island Senate, and the City or Town Council of each of Rhode Island's
7
municipalities.
========
LC003201
========

LC003201 - Page 3 of 3