If Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has his way, undocumented immigrants could be deported for protesting in congressional buildings in Washington, D.C. His office is circulating a bill titled “Ending the Sanctuary Capitol Policy Act of 2015,” which would authorize the Capitol Police to turn over undocumented immigrants protesting or rallying on Capitol Hill grounds for potential deportation proceedings, according to a copy of the bill obtained by ThinkProgress.
Capitol police officers are part of a federal law enforcement agency that allows its officers to protect the Congress “and facilities from crime, disruption, or terrorism,” according to its website. But the agency cannot enforce federal immigration laws, like carrying out detention and deportation proceedings.
King brought up a similar iteration of the bill as an amendment in early March, but it was dropped. Though this standalone bill probably won’t become law either, it is likely intended to draw attention to other bills that King supports that would cut off federal funding to so-called “sanctuary cities” — places where local law enforcement officials can refuse to turn over undocumented immigrants to federal immigration authorities for deportation proceedings.
Sanctuary cities came into the political spotlight after the high-profile death of a San Francisco woman who was shot and killed by an undocumented criminal who had been deported five times. Critics say that sanctuary cities leave U.S. citizens vulnerable to potential crimes. Immigrant advocates, on the other hand, say that ending sanctuary city policies could actually undermine public safety by making undocumented immigrants feel more afraid to report crimes because of their immigration status.
Many immigrants and advocates have taken to Washington D.C. congressional offices to peacefully demonstrate against bills that they believe could lead to family separation through deportation. Most notably, when King announced in August 2013 that 130-pound undocumented immigrants could have calves the size of cantaloupes from “hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert,” advocates delivered cantaloupes to each congressional member with the statement, “This cantaloupe was picked by immigrants in California.”
Actual confrontations between advocates and congressional members have been rare — and generally occur off Capitol Hill grounds — especially since congressional members are quick to brush off youth advocates asking them to move on immigration reform on behalf of their undocumented parents. Even if Capitol police officers don’t have the ability to exercise federal immigration policies, however, they have threatened to arrest young advocates singing Christmas carols in the past.