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FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ashley Moody introduced a measure that would enable states to assist in immigration enforcement by allowing non-federal law enforcement officers to act as a “force multiplier” for federal immigration officers.
The bill, called “The Reimbursement Immigration Partnerships with Police to Allow Local Law Enforcement Act,” or the “RIPPLE Act,” is an expansion of the 287 (g) program that enables states to assist in immigration enforcement.
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The bill would expand eligible reimbursable expenses to state and local law enforcement agencies participating in the 287 (g) program.
A Moody aide said the bill would also enable non-federal law enforcement agencies to commit already sworn officers to immigration enforcement so that they can act as a “force multiplier” for federal immigration enforcement in the short term, while hiring, training, and on-boarding new federal officers is underway. The aide said that is a “more time-intense process.”
“Expanding the 287(g) program will provide resources to state law enforcement to more efficiently get dangerous criminals out of our communities,” Moody, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. “Right now, we are watching disorder and chaos spread through California. This bill will ensure that our local, state and federal law enforcement have the resources they need to hold those who break the law accountable.”
She added: “This lawlessness will not be tolerated.”
Moody said that as a U.S. Senator, she will “continue to work with President Trump to not only reverse the failures of the Biden administration but ensure that it can never happen again—the RIPPLE Act and The Stop Government Abandonment and Placement Scandals (Stop GAPS) Act are critical steps.”
Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., introduced the companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
“Amid the escalating civil unrest in Los Angeles, our law enforcement officers, with unwavering courage, face life-threatening situations while upholding the rule of law and protecting communities from the chaos of riots,” Lee told Fox News Digital. “Their actions demonstrate a selfless dedication to preserving our nation’s security and values.”
Lee said the bill “ensures that local law enforcement officers have the support they need to help enforce immigration laws.”
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“By covering overtime pay and key personnel costs, this bill ensures that local, state, and federal law enforcement officers can work together to stop the chaos and lawlessness in California, and to ensure our immigration laws are followed across America,” Lee said.
The introduction of the legislation comes amid violent riots in Los Angeles, Calif., with demonstrators violently protesting Trump administration immigration enforcement efforts.
The president has deployed thousands of National Guardsmen and women to the streets of Los Angeles. The president also authorized 700 Marine officers to help protect federal buildings and federal law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Moody also introduced a bill that would strike existing law that allows the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to place unaccompanied children with any adult or entity seeking custody.
The bill, called the “Stop Government Abandonment and Placement Scandals Act,” or the “Stop GAPS” Act, would require ORR to work with states to help find homes and proper placements for minors. It would also require ORR to track these children for the duration of their stay in the U.S. while immigration proceedings are ongoing.
ORR is a division of the Department of Health and Human Services that is responsible for coordinating the care and placement of refugees—including unaccompanied children who arrive in the United States.
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According to Moody’s office, when children arrive in the United States without a parent or legal guardian, they are initially processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They are then transferred to the custody of the ORR, which is then responsible for their care and placement.
A Moody aide told Fox News Digital that the Biden administration “infamously lost track of tens of thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children, many of whom were placed into dangerous situations.”
“The Biden administration did historic damage to our country’s immigration and national security structures, putting our nation and unaccompanied children at risk, and turning federal agencies into middlemen for mass human trafficking operations,” Moody told Fox News Digital. “As Florida’s Attorney General I fought constantly in court to stop the intentional destruction of our border and trafficking of minors.”
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