States, counties, and cities could create penalties for immigration violations already covered by federal law. They could not make those penalties harsher than federal law allows. The bill also opens the door to more state and local action against employers who hire unauthorized workers.
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State Immigration Enforcement Act is a House bill in committee. The latest recorded action: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Latest action on H.R. 218: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Who this affects: This bill mainly affects noncitizens, employers, and state and local governments. Noncitizens and other affected people could face state or local enforcement in addition to federal enforcement. Employers could face more state or local penalties if they hire unauthorized workers. States, counties, and cities would decide whether to pass and enforce these matching penalties.
Why this matters: This bill matters because immigration penalties could come from more than one level of government. Today, federal law controls many parts of immigration enforcement. H.R. 218 would let states and local governments add their own matching penalties for the same conduct. That could increase enforcement in some places, but it could also make rules feel different from state to state.
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