LEWISTON — City councilors Tuesday night took steps to make permanent a temporary ordinance they approved last month that limits city engagement with federal immigration enforcement.

The emergency ordinance passed by the council Feb. 17 was set to expire 60 days later. It limits city employees and law enforcement from engaging in federal immigration enforcement. 

The ordinance is more expansive than a state law enacted in December that limits cooperation between state, county and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The state law takes effect this summer.

Councilors said making Lewiston’s ordinance permanent ensures the city and all of its employees are legally protected, as the new state law pertains only to law enforcement personnel.

Councilors Scott Harriman of Ward 3 and Josh Nagine of Ward 1 were concerned with language in the emergency ordinance that appeared again in the permanent ordinance before the council, which was ultimately approved on a first vote Tuesday night.

In three places, the language says city employees may not engage in certain activities pertaining to federal immigration law unless “authorized.”

The councilors wanted to see the word “authorized” replaced with “required.”

Nagine said his issue with the use of “authorized” is that there is no way to discern which authorizations are required and which ones are not. It’s much simpler and provides more legal protection for city employees if they are limited to what is legally required, he said.

“Many of the actions that we are trying to protect against are authorized and that’s exactly the issue with them,” Harriman added.

Councilors approved an amendment changing “authorized” to “required” on a 5-2 vote, councilors Susan Longchamps of Ward 2 and Bret Martel of Ward 7 dissenting.

A vote to approve the ordinance on first passage prevailed on the same voting line.

The council will take up final passage of the ordinance at the next meeting.