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Sheriffs’ deputies and other local law enforcement agents could face jail or prison time and heavy fines for failing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, Louisiana Illuminator reports.
The Louisiana Senate voted overwhelmingly on Monday to approve Senate Bill 15, which, if passed, authorizes prison sentences of up to a decade for local officials who do not fully and proactively assist with immigration enforcement.
If Senate Bill 15 were to become law, it would directly conflict with immigration policies adopted by the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office and, potentially, the New Orleans Police Department―both of which are under federal orders to limit their cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal immigration agencies.
“This bill, if it passes, would basically say that [Orleans Parish Sheriff] Susan Hutson would be in criminal malfeasance in office,” Will Harrell, a spokesman for the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, said in a phone interview Tuesday.
