Why Should Delaware Care?
More than 121,000 Delawareans are immigrants – around 12% of Delaware’s population. As ICE arrests increase this summer, legislation that could prevent some of those enforcement actions remain unsigned by the governor more than six weeks after they were approved by legisaltors.
Gov. Matt Meyer recently joined a bipartisan task force of U.S. governors working to present new immigration policies to Congress, but a slate of three bills aimed at protecting undocumented immigrants here in Delaware remain unsigned.
The delay in signing those bills — which would prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement from conducting civil arrests at Delaware courthouses; restrict local officials from taking part in civil ICE arrests at schools, churches and hospitals; and prevent people from being detained solely for a civil immigration warrant — has drawn concern from community members on social media.
Meyer, who has publicly opposed the Trump administration’s increased ICE activity through previous executive action, did not give a specific reason for not yet signing the bills.
“When hundreds of bills are passed, I am not going to rush through and do shoddy work,” he said. “I am reviewing every piece of legislation for the people of Delaware. We’re going to review every law, and we’ll make a decision.”
Ingrid Ocampo, a community advocate, said that because an official signing date has not been confirmed, she is worried. She showed Spotlight Delaware a post she wrote for a local Latino community Facebook page raising concerns about the bills not yet being signed.
“We respectfully request to know if there exists a reason or circumstance that has delayed the signing of these bills,” Ocampo wrote in Spanish. “Additionally, we would greatly appreciate knowing if there is a set date for your signature.”
Meyer, along with bill sponsors Reps. Sean Lynn (D-Dover) and Mara Gorman (D-Newark), were tagged in the post.
Ocampo said she has not received further information or a reply since she originally posted on Aug. 2.
In an interview with Spotlight Delaware, Ocampo said the current political climate has inspired Latino Delawareans to urge Meyer to act.
“Esto es algo que urge a la comunidad porque estamos en un momento político que lo requiere.” she said. “This is something that urges the community because we are in a political moment that requires it.”
Ocampo was referring to the uptick in ICE arrests made in Delaware. From January 2024 to January 2025, ICE arrests more than doubled, rising from 224 to 695, according to the Deportation Data Project.
Governors’ immigration task force
While it remains unclear if and when Meyer plans to sign the Delaware immigration bills, it is also unclear what exactly the governor plans to do on the new interstate task force.
A spokesperson for Meyer’s office declined to comment on details regarding what exactly the governor plans to do with his new position.
He joined Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-Oklahoma), Gov. Spencer Cox (R-Utah) and Gov. Wes Moore (D-Maryland) in a Bloomberg News interview earlier this month to debut the new group.
“Common ground is not being found right now in Washington, and we can come together — find solutions,” Meyer said during the interview. “Solutions that we think ultimately involve governors in the lead and state governments in the lead in identifying the economic and workforce imperatives.”
Under the U.S. Constitution, immigration laws are a federal responsibility, meaning states cannot pass legislation to reform the immigration system. They can only propose laws to Congress.
Recent reform attempts, however, have been unsuccessful. In 2013, the “Gang of Eight” — a group of bipartisan senators — attempted to provide a legal path to citizenship for millions of immigrants and increase work-related visas. Their bill ultimately died in Congress.
