Sponsors (17)
The bill clarifies eligibility and strengthens oversight for COPS grants—helping agencies that cooperate with federal immigration enforcement access funds promptly—but it pressures jurisdictions to enter MOAs, risking community trust and civil‑liberties concerns, may disproportionately harm smaller jurisdictions, and adds administrative burdens and potential costs to taxpayers.
State and local law‑enforcement agencies that sign memoranda of agreement (MOAs) retain eligibility for DOJ COPS grant funding, and the bill sets a clear effective date so agencies know FY2027 rules and can plan/apply without delay.
The bill creates an interagency verification process (DOJ/DHS) so grant awards go only to agencies documented as cooperating under 8 U.S.C. § 1357(g), improving oversight and compliance of grant recipients.
Immigrant communities and residents may face reduced trust and greater civil‑liberties risks because the law pressures jurisdictions to enter federal immigration‑enforcement MOAs with local police.
Local governments and police that refuse or delay MOAs risk losing COPS grant funding, which could reduce community‑policing resources, officer hiring/training, and local public‑safety programs.
Smaller or resource‑constrained jurisdictions and agencies may be disproportionately harmed—facing lost grants, little time to adapt to new rules for FY2027, or having to shift costs to local taxpayers—reducing services in low‑income areas.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Makes COPS grant eligibility contingent on having a 287(g) MOA with DHS within 180 days; DOJ must verify MOAs before awarding grants.
Official title: To amend section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to make the entering into of memorandums of agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement a condition of eligibility for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program.
Introduced March 25, 2026 by Benjamin Cline · Last progress March 25, 2026
Requires states and localities to have a written 287(g) memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Homeland Security in order to be eligible for Department of Justice COPS grants. Agencies must enter such an MOA within 180 days of enactment, and the Attorney General must consult DHS to set procedures for verifying MOA status before approving grants. Takes effect on enactment and applies to COPS grant applications for FY2027 and later fiscal years.