An Act Regarding Municipal Sanctuary Policies

Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §2007  is enacted to read:

§ 2007.  Ineligibility for state funds based on immigration policies

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a municipality that has in effect any law, policy or procedure, formal or informal, in contravention of the federal Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Section 642, subsection (a) or (b) or that prohibits, formally or informally, a local law enforcement officer from gathering information regarding the lawful or unlawful citizenship or immigration status of any individual is ineligible for:

SUMMARY

This bill provides that a municipality is ineligible to receive general purpose aid for local schools, municipal general assistance and state-municipal revenue sharing if that municipality prohibits or restricts, formally or informally, the exchange of information with the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service or any other federal, state or local government entity regarding the immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual or the maintenance of such information.