A western Kentucky lawmaker is supporting a pre-filed bill to ban sanctuary cities in the state. Sanctuary cities are municipalities that limit, or don’t coordinate with, federal officers to enforce immigration law.
The bill Republican Rep. Richard Heathis co-sponsoring would prohibit local governments from becoming sanctuary cities and allow the state to withhold funding. Heath serves McCracken and Graves counties.
The legislation would also ban postsecondary schools from enrolling, employing or contracting with people who are undocumented.
Heath said it goes against federal immigration law to provide sanctuary to people who have entered the country illegally and committed a crime.
“They find a safe haven in these sanctuary cities and none of the rest of us Americans, people that are here legally, can go to a safe place and be exempt from the reach of the law.”
Heath says illegal immigration isn’t a big problem in the state “yet.”
“I think now’s the time to address it before it becomes a big issue. Let’s just go ahead and state our position now, put it in law and eliminate the problems going forward. Be proactive instead of reactive.”
The bill would also require postsecondary educational institutions to keep records or immigration status and limit who can be considered a Kentucky resident and eligible for in-state tuition.
