The guidance on limiting enforcement in and near sensitive locations played a critical role in providing families with a sense of security in places they accessed every day to thrive and contribute to their communities. It is imperative that Congress codify this longstanding policy.

Since 2011, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s Sensitive Locations policy, also known as the Protected Areas policy, prohibited immigration enforcement actions in places that provided vital services important to well-being. In 2021, DHS announced a “protected areas” policy that strengthened and clarified the existing…