Sponsors (17)
The bill trades clearer, stricter federal oversight and continued COPS grant eligibility for cooperating agencies against increased pressure on jurisdictions to enter immigration‑enforcement agreements, which risks funding losses and civil‑liberty and resource‑distribution harms for noncooperating or resource‑poor communities.
State and local law enforcement agencies that sign MOAs with federal immigration authorities retain eligibility for DOJ COPS community‑policing grants, preserving funding access for cooperating agencies.
DOJ and DHS interagency verification of MOA cooperation creates stronger oversight so COPS grants are awarded only to agencies documented as cooperating under 8 U.S.C. § 1357(g), reducing risk of noncompliant grant awards.
The Act’s immediate effective date and FY2027 applicability give law enforcement and local governments clear eligibility rules and leave updated grant opportunities available for upcoming funding cycles.
Local and state jurisdictions that refuse or delay signing MOAs risk losing COPS grant funding, which can reduce community‑policing resources and public‑safety programs—especially in urban and low‑income communities.
The requirement/pressure to enter federal immigration‑enforcement MOAs may undermine trust between immigrant communities and local police and raise civil‑liberty and community‑relations concerns.
Smaller or resource‑constrained jurisdictions face disproportionate harm if they lose grant funds or cannot 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 jurisdictions having signed 287(g) MOAs with DHS within 180 days of enactment, effective for FY2027 grants and after.
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
Makes eligibility for Department of Justice COPS grants conditional on local and state law enforcement entering into 287(g) memoranda of agreement (MOAs) with the Department of Homeland Security. Jurisdictions must have such an MOA within 180 days of enactment to receive COPS grant awards, and the Attorney General must consult DHS to verify MOAs before awarding grants. Takes effect on enactment and applies to COPS grant applications for FY2027 and every fiscal year after that, meaning many state and local law enforcement agencies will need to sign 287(g) agreements or risk losing COPS funding for community policing programs beginning with FY2027 awards.