"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." – Emma Lazarus
Etched on the foot of the Statue of Liberty is a poem that speaks to the heart of our nation. The right for people to seek a better life in the United States is foundational to our country's heritage.
But some Wyoming legislators would rather ignore that longstanding American sentiment of welcoming immigrants and offering hope to the world in favor of attacking the state's immigrant community.
Senate File 124 would codify sweeping enforcement requirements to identify, report, detain, and deport immigrants in Wyoming.
The bill would criminalize people transporting or sheltering undocumented immigrants with a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines. It would ban sanctuary-city like county policies. It would require the Wyoming attorney general to sign a contract with federal agencies to enforce immigration policies. And it'll cost you, the taxpayer, with a $1 million appropriation to cover any unforeseen costs of having state officials enforce federal immigration policies.
This harmful anti-immigrant bill is unconstitutional, xenophobic and will increase the unlawful racial profiling of Wyoming's immigrant communities. And it needs to be stopped.
As neighbors, business owners, taxpayers, and workers, immigrants are an integral part of Wyoming's diverse and thriving communities and make extensive contributions that benefit us all. Senate Bill 124 won't make Wyoming a better place to live.
Contact your lawmakers now to ask them to oppose Senate File 124.
