Representatives Click, Santucci Re-Introduce 'America First Act' to Fight Unlawful Immigration

COLUMBUS –Representatives Gary Click (R-Vickery) and Nick Santucci (R- Niles) are re-introducing the ‘America First Act,’ legislation that supports federal immigration policy. 

The America First Act only addresses immigration already determined to be unlawful on the federal level. It simply states that it is unlawful for unlawful immigrants to be in Ohio. 

The penalty for violating this law is a $500 fine and one year in jail. Penalties are increased on the second offence. In both instances, offenders are required to leave the state within seventy-two hours of being released.

“The America First Act sends the message that we welcome lawful immigrants, and we value those who value America enough to knock and come through the front door,” said Click. “More than once, legal immigrants have come to me and expressed their gratitude for this great country and how offensive it is to them that others would disrespect our nation so much that they would enter in any way but the legal way.”

The America First Act requires law enforcement agencies to report anyone that they have detained for their unlawful presence to ICE, permits them to surrender them to ICE for deportation at any time during their sentence, and requires local law enforcement agencies and detention facilities to hold inmates upon a lawful detainer request from ICE. Subdivisions that fail to cooperate may receive a fine in the form of a $500 deduction from their local government funds. 

Finally, law enforcement agencies across Ohio are specifically authorized in this bill to participate with federal authorities in fulfilling their mission to achieve a lawful and orderly immigration process.

“The ability for migrants to easily bypass our laws undermines the value of citizenship and weakens the integrity of the immigration process,” said Santucci. “Ohio can play a crucial role in supporting legal immigration by prioritizing those who follow the law and discouraging individuals whose first act upon entering the country is breaking it from settling here.”

HB 200 awaits a committee assignment and first hearing.