HB 650 will protect law-abiding citizens from illegal courthouse arrests during court-mandated appearances.

ICE and other federal have been arresting individuals who obey the law by showing up for court-mandated appearances, usually without a judicial warrant. This is a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of due process. It adversely impacts public safety and it undercuts legitimate law enforcement efforts.

Many illegal arrests are made while individuals travel to/from court-mandated appearances. This puts law-abiding individuals into an impossible bind: comply with the law and risk unjustified arrest and detention, or break a law they would prefer to honor, and thus create the conditions for legitimate arrest.

Bottom line: arrests at courthouses put law-abiding individuals in an impossible catch-22, undercuts public trust, endangers our safety and allows the violations of our rights by federal agents to continue without accountability.
HB650