Senate Bill No. by Senator Morris aims to strengthen the legal framework surrounding federal immigration enforcement in Louisiana by prohibiting acts that hinder or interfere with such efforts. The bill amends existing laws on obstruction of justice and malfeasance in office. Specifically, it adds a new provision under the crime of obstruction of justice, defining it to include any act intended to hinder, delay, prevent, or otherwise interfere with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Additionally, the bill modifies the definition of malfeasance in office to include actions that obstruct lawful requests for cooperation from federal immigration agencies, such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The proposed changes include the insertion of new legal language that explicitly outlines these prohibitions, while also making several grammatical adjustments to existing definitions. For instance, the term "shall" is replaced with "does" in the context of malfeasance, and the language is updated to clarify the responsibilities of public officers and employees regarding federal immigration enforcement. The bill is set to take effect on August 1, 2025, if passed.

Statutes affected:
SB15 Original: 14:134(A)