A bill prohibiting any area in the state from becoming a sanctuary city is approved by the state Legislature.
It prevents any entity from granting any undocumented immigrants legal citizenship status.
Spearfish Rep. Mary Fitzgerald is the prime house sponsor of the bill. She said it keeps South Dakotans safe by following the federal government’s lead.
“The South Dakota legislature is not in charge of border security, but we are affected by the criminals who have entered the United States illegally. Today, I’m asking the legislature to do the right thing, to do their part, to make America safe again,” Fitzgerald said.
Sioux Falls Democratic Rep. Kadyn Wittman disagreed, saying the bill could cause more harm than good.
“There’s no evidence that local law enforcement is failing to cooperate with federal authorities. I reached out to our local law enforcement in Sioux Falls. They’re nervous that this piece of legislation is going to further erode the relationships that they have built with our immigrant communities in Sioux Falls. And I have very little doubt that there are other law enforcement officials across our state that are sharing those concerns. To be honest with you, at a time when our state is facing challenges like access to quality education, housing, public safety concerns, to me this bill seems to be a distraction from issues that actually impact South Dakotans,” Wittman said.
The bill passed the House 62-6 Tuesday and awaits the governor’s signature.
