S685 lowers the maximum penalty for misdemeanors from 365 days to 364 days, so that illegal immigrants do not have to be reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Rhode Island Senate passed S685 on March 28, 2023, by a vote of 37 to 0. We have assigned pluses to the nays as this bill would ensure that illegal immigrants would not be deported if they were to commit most crimes in the state of Rhode Island. Any crime committed by an illegal immigrant carrying a maximum penalty of 365 days would result in a report being sent to ICE, and so this bill makes that impossible.