IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1384 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that State and local 
governments, and State and local law enforcement personnel in the 
course of carrying out routine duties, have the inherent authority of 
a sovereign entity to investigate, identify, apprehend, arrest, detain, or 
transfer to Federal custody aliens in the United States, for the purpose 
of assisting in the enforcement of the immigration laws of the United 
States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 20, 2010 
Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California (for himself, Mrs. MYRICK, and Mr. SMITH 
of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Home-
land Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
State and local governments, and State and local law 
enforcement personnel in the course of carrying out rou-
tine duties, have the inherent authority of a sovereign 
entity to investigate, identify, apprehend, arrest, detain, 
or transfer to Federal custody aliens in the United 
States, for the purpose of assisting in the enforcement 
of the immigration laws of the United States. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:31 May 21, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\HR1384.IH
HR1384
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1384 IH 
Whereas the Federal Government has failed to fully carry out 
current laws governing the enforcement of the immigra-
tion laws of the United States; 
Whereas the Federal Government’s lack of enforcement has 
failed to curb illegal immigration, secure the borders, and 
protect the homeland; 
Whereas 11,000,000 to 20,000,000 aliens unlawfully present 
in the United States currently reside in the United 
States; 
Whereas 15,000,000 individuals authorized to be employed in 
the United States are unemployed while an estimated 
8,000,000 illegal aliens are unlawfully employed; 
Whereas Mexican drug trafficking organizations have oper-
ations within the United States and are geographically 
dispersed throughout at least 230 cities; 
Whereas the number of drug trafficking-related deaths in 
Mexico since January 2007 has been estimated at over 
14,000; 
Whereas Congress remains concerned with the possibility that 
the current drug trafficking-related violence in Mexico 
may spill over into the United States; 
Whereas the failure by the Federal Government to curb ille-
gal immigration and secure the borders has placed, and 
continues to place, a substantial burden on State and 
local government agencies to address illegal immigration 
and the escalating border violence; 
Whereas many State and local governments have actively 
worked to discourage illegal immigration and to assist in 
the enforcement of the immigration laws of the United 
States; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:31 May 21, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1384.IH
HR1384
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1384 IH 
Whereas such actions and assistance have come at great ex-
pense to State and local governments; 
Whereas illegal immigration costs State and local govern-
ments $40,000,000,000 to $80,000,000,000 every year; 
Whereas illegal immigration also poses a threat to the secu-
rity of the United States; 
Whereas the 9/11 Commission Report found that several of 
the 19 9/11 terrorists had overstayed their tourist visas 
and therefore were unlawfully present in the United 
States; 
Whereas 3 of the hijackers had been stopped for traffic viola-
tions when they were living illegally in the United States, 
including the pilot Ziad Jarrah who was cited for speed-
ing just 2 days before the attacks; 
Whereas if the information that those individuals had over-
stayed visas had been available to local law enforcement 
officials, several of the hijackers might have been de-
tained and deported, potentially disrupting the 9/11 plot; 
Whereas 3 noncitizens, who authorities say supplied funds to 
Times Square car-bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad, were ar-
rested in the United States and found to have overstayed 
their visas and to be unlawfully present in the United 
States; 
Whereas the State of Arizona recently enacted the Support 
Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act to 
enhance the ability of State and local agencies to discour-
age illegal immigration, protect Arizona communities 
against local and international organized crime, and to 
ease the burden placed on the State; 
Whereas it is the intent of the Support Our Law Enforce-
ment and Safe Neighborhoods Act to make attrition 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:31 May 21, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1384.IH
HR1384
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1384 IH 
through enforcement the public policy of all State and 
local government agencies in Arizona; 
Whereas the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neigh-
borhoods Act mirrors Federal law, which already requires 
aliens to register and carry their documents with them; 
Whereas the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neigh-
borhoods Act simply states that violating Federal immi-
gration law is now a State crime as well; 
Whereas the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neigh-
borhoods Act allows law enforcement officials to ask 
about immigration status only in the normal course of a 
lawful stop, detention, or arrest, such as in the course of 
a traffic stop or criminal arrest; 
Whereas the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neigh-
borhoods Act prohibits a law enforcement official or 
agency or a county, city, town or other political subdivi-
sion solely to consider race, color, or national origin in 
implementing the requirements of the Act; and 
Whereas the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neigh-
borhoods Act will help to alleviate the costs of illegal im-
migration on taxpayers and will enhance national secu-
rity: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) States, and law enforcement personnel of a 
State (or of a political subdivision of a State) in the 
course of carrying out routine duties, have the inher-
ent authority of a sovereign entity to investigate, 
identify, apprehend, arrest, detain, or transfer to 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:31 May 21, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR1384.IH
HR1384
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 1384 IH 
Federal custody aliens in the United States (includ-
ing the transportation of such aliens across State 
lines to detention centers), for the purposes of as-
sisting in the enforcement of the immigration laws 
of the United States; 
(2) State and local governments should be sup-
ported by the Federal Government for taking actions 
to discourage illegal immigration; 
(3) State and local governments should be fully 
reimbursed for the costs associated with illegal im-
migration; 
(4) State and local governments that knowingly 
harbor illegal immigrants should be penalized; 
(5) current laws governing the enforcement of 
the immigration laws of the United States should be 
enforced to the highest extent of the law; 
(6) attrition through enforcement should be the 
policy of the United States; and 
(7) legislation to enhance border security and 
the enforcement of immigration laws should be 
passed quickly in order to ease the burden on State 
and local governments and increase national secu-
rity. 
Æ 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:31 May 21, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR1384.IH
HR1384
tjames on DSKG8SOYB1PROD with BILLS