One of the pieces of legislation State Rep. Mara Gorman introduced this session relating to immigration detention is up for Senate consideration.
Gorman’s HB 151, introduced last year, says the state and local government dollars can’t go to private detention facilities. It’s meant to block development and support of private facilities used to hold people for federal immigration charges.
"This bill would ensure that no state dollars are spent on private detention facilities in Delaware," she said to the House chamber Thursday.
The state already passed a law last year, also authored by Gorman, which bans local law enforcement from partnering with ICE for immigration enforcement.
Gorman said Delaware has a unique system of state-run prisons, "which gives us also a unique responsibility as a legislature to make certain that we use taxpayer dollars to improve the system internally, rather than turning it over to corporations or private equity."
Last year, nearly 90% of people in ICE custody were held in facilities run by for-profit, private companies.
HB 151 advanced along party lines on the House floor and heads to the senate.
Delaware does not have any private detention facilities, outside of one youth diversion program, which Gorman created an exception for in the bill. But New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia all have private detention facilities.
Her bill puts a 2028 sunset clause on the youth facility's exemption, "so that we can take a look at how that is operating."
She introduced three other bills this week related to immigration enforcement: HB 368, which limits law enforcement from detaining someone for immigration violations. She also proposed HB 366 and HB 367, which create requirements for display of law enforcement ID and facial coverings.
Including these, Gorman's sponsored approximately 10 pieces of legislation this session relation to immigration enforcement. Four of these have been signed so far: HB 182, HB 153, HB 152 and HB 142. Five others are in stages of committee consideration.
