SB 21 punishes and removes legal protections for localities accused of not being harsh enough on immigrants. The bill waives sovereign and other governmental immunities of local governments – from policymakers to educators and sheriffs if they are accused of violating anti-immigrant laws, even if the accusation is baseless. Removing these immunities means local officials can be subject to lawsuits when they otherwise would have been protected. This bill wastes taxpayer money and local resources responding to frivolous lawsuits. It also erodes public trust in government institutions, including schools, and unjustly tries to override the voices of voters who elected their local officials.

🚨Forces localities to repress support for immigrants in order to avoid liability. In order to avoid being accused of having a pro-immigrant policy and face liability, localities are forced to limit how much they do and say, including expressions of supporting and protecting immigrant communities.

🚨Emboldens anti-immigrant extremists to file frivolous lawsuits against localities. By removing legal protections of sovereign and other governmental immunities, localities can be subject to lawsuits when they otherwise would have been protected.

🚨Wastes taxpayer money and local resources responding to false allegations.

🚨Turns public schools into unsafe zones for immigrant families and increases risk for teachers supporting immigrant students. SB 21 forces teachers into making the impossible choice of serving their students, who confide in them, or adopting a harsh anti-immigrant stance across school grounds, in order to avoid liability.

🚨Emboldens biased prosecutors to target and prosecute public workers they dislike. Encourages prosecutions based on unfounded accusations of violating anti-immigrant laws since an accusation could be enough to remove sovereign and other governmental immunities. This can be weaponized to harass and suppress public officials.

🚨Is unnecessary in light of existing law. Draconian anti-immigrant laws, like HB 1105, have already created financial and criminal penalties for localities if they are deemed to violate the anti-immigrant laws. As such, SB 21 is not necessary.