Akron Reporter

WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Representative Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13) issued a statement on the House Passage of H.R. 2494, the Protect Our Law Enforcement with Immigration Control and Enforcement (POLICE) Act.

“Assaulting any public servant is always inexcusable, and we must ensure we are protecting the safety of the public safety officers who put their lives on the line for us every day. Our public safety officers deserve real solutions to keep them safe, which is why I opposed H.R. 2494. This partisan legislation does not meaningfully address the challenges police officers face in the line of duty. Instead of partisan politics, I will continue to support bipartisan, commonsense proposals that provide those who protect our communities with the resources they need to do their jobs,” said Rep. Sykes.

H.R. 2494 drastically expands the ability to deport individuals from the United States who have never been charged or convicted of the crime of assault.

Because H.R. 2494 fails to define “assault,” it would allow deportation for incidents in which no one was injured, and incidents in which no harm was ever intended — all without the benefit of a fair trial, a basic requirement of due process.

Currently, if an individual is convicted of a “crime of violence” and sentenced to a year or more in prison, it is an aggravated felony and the person is deportable.

Rep. Sykes is committed to ensuring that local law enforcement have the resources they need to protect and serve our communities. Rep. Sykes is a co-lead of the Enhancing COPS Hiring Program Grants for Local Law Enforcement Act, bipartisan legislation with Reps. Greg Landsman (OH-01), Mike Carey (OH-15), and Max Miller (OH-07) that will ensure the COPS Hiring Program allows local law enforcement agencies to utilize the grants for recruitment and retention bonuses.

H.R. 2494 now awaits consideration in the U.S. Senate.

Original source can be found here.