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Committee advances bill to require full 48‑hour hold for immigration detainers amid testimony opposing policy
Summary
HB 2018 would require sheriffs to hold people with immigration detainers for the full 48 hours. A public witness testified the policy is detaining noncriminal people and that federal reimbursements cited in fiscal notes are uncertain; the committee voted to send the bill to Calendar and Rules (16–6).
Leader Cochran, sponsor of House Bill 2018, said the measure is intended to strengthen enforcement by ensuring local agencies hold subjects with immigration detainers for the full 48‑hour period rather than exercising discretion to release earlier. The bill drew public opposition: Ashley Warbington testified for three minutes that, in her view, the policy’s real‑world implementation does not match the administration’s description of targeting “the worst of the worst.” “Every day, individuals with no criminal record are being detained in the streets and inside the courthouses,” Warbington said, adding that she had personally witnessed detentions at courthouses involving people there for traffic matters.
Warbington also challenged fiscal assumptions in the bill’s note, noting a Department of Homeland Security/ICE announcement that reimbursements “may” be available for officers participating in some programs but are not guaranteed; she said memoranda of agreement still place financial responsibility on local agencies for salaries, training and equipment. Committee members asked the witness for examples and debated whether collaboration with ICE made communities safer; Warbington and one questioner asserted it did not.
After hearing from the witness and taking member questions, the committee invoked the previous question and voted to move HB 2018 to Calendar and Rules with 16 ayes and six noes.
Next steps: the bill will appear on the Calendar and Rules docket for potential floor consideration or amendment.
