State Immigration Enforcement Act

This proposal would let states and cities create and enforce their own penalties for the same actions that are already illegal under federal immigration law. Their penalties could not be tougher than the federal ones. It would also remove a federal rule that blocks states and cities from penalizing employers who hire people who are not authorized to work in the United States.

Key points:

• Who is affected: state and local governments, employers, and people involved in immigration-related offenses .
• What changes: states and cities could mirror federal immigration crimes and civil violations, enforcing penalties up to (but not above) federal limits; the current federal block on state/local penalties for hiring unauthorized workers would be lifted .
• When: these changes would apply if the bill becomes law.