AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DETENTION FOR FEDERAL CIVIL IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS (Prohibits state and municipal officials or body from entering into and renewing any agreements that will be used to detain individuals for federal civil immigration violations.)

S2278

2026 -- S 2278
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LC003831
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DETENTION FOR FEDERAL
CIVIL IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS

Introduced By:
Senators Acosta, Quezada, Mack, Vargas, Kallman, Euer, Lauria, Gu,
Valverde, and Urso

Date Introduced:
January 23, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND
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GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:
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CHAPTER 169
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DETENTION FOR FEDERAL CIVIL IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS
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42-169-1. Short title.

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This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Detention for Federal Civil
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Immigration Violations”.
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42-169-2. Prohibition on agreements to detain individuals for federal civil
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immigration violations.

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(a) No state or municipal government official or body, or instrumentality or agency thereof,
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may enter into, renew, or otherwise agree, to be a party to any contract or agreement, that is or will
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be used to detain individuals for federal civil immigration violations including, but not limited to,
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any intergovernmental services agreements to detain individuals for federal civil immigration
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violations or any lease or other agreement, that facilitates the use of real property belonging to the
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public body, or instrumentality or agency thereof, to detain and relocate individuals for federal civil
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immigration violations.
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(b) A state or municipal governmental official or body, or instrumentality or agency
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thereof, that is party to any existing agreement, that is or will be used to detain individuals for

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federal civil immigration violations, shall exercise the termination provision of the agreement as
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applied to its use for detaining individuals for federal civil immigration violations no later than July
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1, 2026.
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42-169-3. Severability.

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If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part of this chapter shall be adjudged by any
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court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, that judgment shall not
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affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder of this chapter, but shall be confined in its operation to
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the clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part directly involved in the controversy in which that
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judgment shall have been rendered.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DETENTION FOR FEDERAL
CIVIL IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS
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This act would prohibit state and municipal officials or body from entering into and
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renewing any agreements that will be used to detain individuals for federal civil immigration
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violations. It would also prohibit state and local leaders from leasing their public real estate for use
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as an immigration detention facility.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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