Introduction: Apparently undeterred by string of violent crimes committed by illegal alien criminals who have been released back onto the streets of American as a result of federal, state and local sanctuary policies, the Massachusetts Legislature is considering a bill that would create statewide sanctuary policies. In a powerful testimony against House Bill 1228, Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson argues that the legislation poses a threat to public safety and would require law enforcement officers to violate their oath to uphold the law.
TESTIMONY HB 1228
SHERIFF THOMAS M. HODGSON
SEPTEMBER 16, 2015
page 1 of 3
The essence of this bill leads to one fundamental question that we as elected representatives of the American people and legal residents must answer.
Are we here to protect the citizens and legal residents of the commonwealth with regards to their public safety, public health, and financial welfare, or are we here to do everything we can to give cover to, accommodate, and not offend people who have violated our laws?
This legislation not only asks law enforcement officers to violate their oath to faithfully and impartially enforce the laws, but forbids us from detaining serious criminal illegal aliens from going back into our communities to victimize more innocent people.
Further, this law would forbid us from cooperating with federal ice agents, by sharing booking lists, allowing them to use our facilities for interviews or provide information regarding inmates’ incarceration status or release dates.
page 2 of 3
What is deeply troubling to me and I believe the citizens of both the commonwealth and our nation, is why any of us who are elected by the people would want law enforcement to have less tools, less capabilities of sharing equipment, resources and intelligence to help keep our communities safe.
As recently as today, secretary of homeland security Jeb Johnson condemned San Francisco for their failure to cooperate with ice, which ultimately led to the death of Kathryn Steinle.
As someone who led a team of 50 law enforcement personnel to ground zero where we spent 5 weeks on the rescue effort, it was easy to understand why state, local, and federal agencies needed to collaborate on domestic and national security interests. This is not the time to roll back our progress through restrictive legislation. The future Mohammed Atta’s of the world are counting on us to provide them cover so they can kill more innocent people. And, on our domestic front, this legislation protects illegal behavior and encourages more illegals to settle in Massachusetts, further enhancing the chance for future tragedies like the death of Matthew Denise, and two other people in the town of Milford as well as other communities…
page 3 of 3
Throughout the commonwealth, at the hands of illegal aliens.