HONOLULU The state senate in Hawaii has approved a bill that would make it the second sanctuary state for undocumented immigrants.
HONOLULU — The state senate in Hawaii has approved a bill that would make it the second “sanctuary state” for undocumented immigrants.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that the senate bill has been referred to the House for consideration.
The proposal allows local law enforcement to choose whether to participate with federal agencies searching for tax-paying, undocumented immigrants without criminal convictions.
The bill does not include immigrants with felony or misdemeanor convictions within the past five years, convictions for sex offenses against minors, or those wanted by federal law enforcement agencies or suspected of terrorist activity.
Protections would also not extend to anyone illegally crossing the border after deportation.
The bill says about 45,000 of Hawaii’s more than 253,000 immigrants are undocumented.
California was the first to become a sanctuary state in 2017.
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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com
