PIERRE, SD – State leaders and law enforcement are responding to new guidelines released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). According to Governor Kristi Noem and some South Dakota law enforcement officers the new guidelines will make South Dakotans less safe and limit officers’ abilities.
DHS new guidelines limit making arrests at schools, hospitals and other “protected” areas by federal immigration officers. Those areas also include places of worship, areas where children gather such as childcare centers and playgrounds, places of funeral, and ongoing demonstrations, protests or rallies.
In response to the guidelines, Gov. Noem and the South Dakota Sheriffs’ Association released a joint statement condemning the new guidelines for officers.
“Our sheriffs and police cannot legally enforce our nation’s immigration laws,” the statement reads. “We rely on the federal government to do its constitutional duty. These guidelines from Secretary Mayorkas provide an inappropriate roadmap for immigrants who come into our country illegally and avoid the federal law enforcement officers who work to counter illegal immigrants.
The statement continued, “This new policy by DHS makes communities across America – including South Dakota – less safe. This administration is not only rolling out the red carpet for illegal immigrants, but also handcuffing its own federal law enforcement officers, who want nothing more than to enforce our immigration laws.”
