PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, the Providence City Council will consider amending a city ordinance that would limit how much police can cooperate with federal immigration authorities. One of Trump's campaign promises was to ensure mass deportations. The President-elect previously announced Tom Homan would be the incoming border czar. “The operation will start day one,” Homan told NewsNation on Dec. 27. The President-elect has previously signaled he would declare an immigration national emergency and use military assets to carry out his deportation plan. On Thursday, just days before Trump's inauguration, Providence City Councilor Justin Roias introduced an ordinance that would amend the Providence Community-Police Relations Act, which already prohibits Providence police from inquiring about an individual’s immigration status. The existing city law states that Providence police aren't allowed to comply with requests that would aid in operations "solely for the purpose of enforcing federal civil immigration law, including but not limited to requests to establish traffic perimeters related solely to immigration enforcement." "Now, as the incoming President threatens mass detentions and deportations, we need to bolster these protections for undocumented residents," Roias said in a statement to Target 12. "We need to make clear: Providence will not be an active participant in Donald Trump’s campaign of cruelty." Former Mayor Jorge Elorza signed the original ordinance the into law in June 2017, and it took effect the following January. At the time, Elorza called it "the most comprehensive community-police relations law in the country." "With so much tension in the air in cities throughout the country, Providence is being proactive in collecting data and in adopting policies promoting transparency, accountability and strong community relations," Elorza said in a 2017 statement. A separate internal police policy that went into effect in 2021 also prohibits Providence officers from asking about someone's immigration status and from holding a subject "based exclusively" on an administrative detainer. The new proposal by Roias would ensure that police are not "proactively" providing federal immigration authorities with a list of arrestees or inmates, in addition to any information about the time of their release. Plus, police would not be able to share personal data like state-issued IDs, licenses, names, addresses, dates of birth, fingerprints or biometric information with the feds. The proposed changes would also block federal authorities without a signed warrant in hand from city buildings, schools, places of worship, health facilities and courts. "Undocumented people are my constituents as much as any other. They are our neighbors and friends, our classmates and our colleagues. When we protect our neighbors, we strengthen our city," Roias said. "Safety isn’t built on fear. It’s built on trust and community, and that’s what this ordinance protects." The ordinance would still allow authorities to enter those locations if they were responding to "a specific act of terrorism, national security threat or when there is the threat of imminent danger of violence to the United States." On Thursday night the Providence City Council referred the ordinance to the Committee on Ordinances before being vetted and formally voted on. No discussion was held on the matter. Mayor Brett Smiley has not yet commented on the proposed changes. "We will be reviewing the amendment this week when it is formally introduced," Smiley spokesperson Josh Estrella told Target 12 on Thursday. In a press conference the day after the election, however, Smiley said that Providence police officers "are not, should not be, and will not be immigration officers." "If you are going about your business, you have no concern that Providence police or law enforcement, empowered by me at least, are going to be asking for paperwork or checking immigration status," Smiley said. "Now, if you break the law, and you find yourself in prison, that information is shared with immigration services." Alexandra Leslie ([email protected]) is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup SIGN UP NOW