Representative Adriano Espaillat Reintroduces Protecting Sensitive Locations Act in the 118th Congress

Landmark Legislation Aims to Codify Protections of Immigrants at Essential Service Locations 

NEW YORK, NY – Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) reintroduced his landmark bill, the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, during the 118th Congress. This pivotal legislation would codify commonsense protections for immigrant communities at sensitive locations where they are at their most vulnerable. The Act is also being co-led by Representatives Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Don Beyer (VA-08).

“We have made progress since the previous administration when I first introduced the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act. Yet, our nation’s immigrant communities have continued to face indiscriminate raids and other challenges when visiting locations providing essential services,” said Espaillat. “The previous presidential administration created a culture of fear and scare tactics that prevented immigrants from leaving their homes to seek essential government services, receive life-saving medical care, attend places of worship, and more. This bill would codify commonsense protections to ensure immigrant communities are not targeted at these sensitive locations.” 

Espaillat’s Protecting Sensitive Locations Act would statutorily prohibit immigration enforcement actions by DHS agents—including arrests, interviews, searches, and surveillance—at “sensitive locations” where immigrant communities gather in the absence of exigent circumstances such as clear threats to public safety. The list of “sensitive locations” for immigrant communities that this Act protects includes, but are not limited to: 

•            medical treatment facilities and health care facilities of all types;

•            public and private schools, early childhood learning centers, preschools, scholastic activities, and field trips;

•            places of worship;

•            federal and local courthouses;

•            DMVs and social security offices;

•            polling places;

•            labor union halls;

•           and several other locations which provide essential or emergency services to immigrant communities, such as rape crisis centers and homeless shelters.

The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act is endorsed by the National Immigrant Justice Center and was reintroduced in the House of Representatives with 13 original cosponsors. 

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fourth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 118th Congress. He is also a member of the House Budget Committee and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Deputy Chair as well as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Rep. Espaillat is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at [email protected]