Connecticut’s top court official implemented a new policy Tuesday that prohibits warrantless arrests inside state courts, a move aimed at limiting immigration enforcement activity inside judicial buildings.
The policy, issued by Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice Raheem Mullins, also prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings inside court facilities, unless they have a medical need, or prior approval from the judiciary.
In a show of unity across branches of government, Mullins joined Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and state Rep. Steven Stafstrom, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee, to announce the new policy, saying his goal in creating it was to keep court buildings safe.
“The safety and security of our courthouses, as well as the safety and security of those that work in and visit our courthouses, is my top priority,” Mullins said. “Judges, staff, litigants, members of the public, they all must be able to conduct their business in our courthouses without fear of disruption.”
A group of Democratic state senators recently urged Mullins to implement new safeguards in the wake of a disruptive incident at the Stamford courthouse on Aug. 11.
Witnesses told Connecticut Public a group of federal immigration officers rushed into the building and arrested two men from inside a court bathroom. Video shows a group of officers – most in masks – leading the men away from the building in handcuffs.
Advocates from Stamford and Norwalk gathered outside the court several days later to denounce the incident. Lamont, a Democrat, also criticized federal authorities for arresting people in local courts, saying it undermines public safety in the state.
In response to an inquiry from Connecticut Public about the Stamford court arrests, a representative of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not directly address the incident, but referred to a press release announcing the completion of a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Connecticut.
Staff from the ICE field office in Hartford and other federal agencies apprehended 65 people during the operation, which it said targeted “transnational organized crime, gangs, and egregious offenders.” Of those arrested, 29 were “convicted or charged in the United States with serious crimes,” according to the agency.
ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new court policy.
Republican state Rep. Craig Fishbein, a ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, criticized the changes in a statement Tuesday.
“Making it more difficult for law enforcement officers to apprehend wanted individuals actually endangers public safety, including for the very men and women who work in these courthouses that these changes are supposed to protect,” he said.
A handful of other blue states have implemented their own restrictions on immigration arrests in court, either through judicial action or legislation. They include Oregon, New York and California.
Discussing Connecticut’s new policy, Lamont described it as a “modest step” to ensure individuals can access courts, regardless of their immigration status.
The policy follows a similar directive put in place by a federal judge last month that prohibits arrests inside U.S. District Court facilities in Connecticut.
Nevertheless, it’s unclear how state court officials will enforce the new rule. Mullins did not respond to questions about the guidance judicial marshals would receive.
Stafstrom, a Democrat, said the policy institutes parameters for arrests, and makes clear that lawful immigration enforcement activity should take place outside the courthouse. But he acknowledged the limits of its reach.
“We are not going to be able to stop 12 armed ICE agents from storming the front door of a courthouse,” he said. “If that's the level that the federal government wants to stoop to, then that's the level they are going to stoop to."
