Sponsors (15)
Introduced March 25, 2026 by Benjamin Cline · Last progress March 25, 2026
The bill ties federal community‑policing grant eligibility to documented cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and creates verification and an immediate FY2027 effective date—strengthening federal oversight and certainty for cooperating agencies but risking reduced resources, coercive pressure on jurisdictions, and disadvantages for smaller or resource‑strained communities.
State and local law-enforcement agencies that sign MOAs retain eligibility for DOJ COPS grants, preserving access to federal community-policing funding for cooperating jurisdictions.
The bill creates an interagency verification process (DOJ–DHS) so COPS grants are awarded only to agencies documented as cooperating under 8 U.S.C. § 1357(g), improving oversight and compliance of grant awards.
Applicants get immediate clarity because the new rules take effect for FY2027, allowing local police agencies and city governments to plan and apply under the updated eligibility framework without delay.
Local and state agencies that refuse or delay signing MOAs can lose access to COPS grant funding, reducing resources for officer hiring, training, and community‑policing programs.
Jurisdictions may be pressured to enter federal immigration‑enforcement agreements to keep grant funding, which can undermine trust with immigrant communities and raise civil‑liberties concerns.
Smaller or resource‑strained jurisdictions face disproportionate harm if they lose grants or must meet new requirements, shifting costs to local taxpayers or forcing cuts to services.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Conditions DOJ COPS grant eligibility on states and local law enforcement entering DHS §1357(g) MOAs within 180 days, effective for FY2027 grants onward.
Conditions eligibility for Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants on states and local governments entering written memoranda of agreement (MOAs) with the Department of Homeland Security under 8 U.S.C. §1357(g) within 180 days of enactment. The Attorney General must consult with DHS to create procedures to verify MOAs before approving COPS grant awards. Local law enforcement agencies that do not have such MOAs will be ineligible for COPS grants beginning with applications for FY2027 and continuing thereafter, effective on the date of enactment. The change shifts a federal grant-eligibility decision into a condition tied to local participation in federal immigration enforcement agreements, with likely effects on local budgets, police practices, and community trust.