Attorney General Neronha says the State will resist
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha,
along with the attorneys general of California, New York, Colorado,
Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and
Vermont, today issued a joint statement addressing a memorandum from a Trump
political appointee at the United States Department of Justice addressing
state and local involvement in federal immigration enforcement:
“It is well-established—through longstanding Supreme
Court precedent—that the United States Constitution prevents the federal
government from commandeering states to enforce federal laws. While the federal
government may use its own resources for federal immigration enforcement, the
court ruled in Printz v. United States that
the federal government cannot ‘impress into its service—and at no cost to
itself—the police officers of the 50 States.’ This balance of power between the
federal government and state governments is a touchstone of our American system
of federalism.
“Despite what he may say to the contrary, the President cannot unilaterally re-write the Constitution. The President has made troubling threats to weaponize the U.S. Department of Justice’s prosecutorial authority and resources to attack public servants acting in compliance with their state laws, interfering with their ability to build trust with the communities they serve and protect. Right now, these vague threats are just that: empty words on paper. But rest assured, our states will not hesitate to respond if these words become illegal actions.
“As state attorneys general, we have a responsibility to
enforce state laws – and we will continue to investigate and prosecute crimes,
regardless of immigration status. We will not be distracted by the President’s
mass deportation agenda.”
