Sponsors
The bill conditions federal infrastructure funding on local notification to DHS about noncitizen releases—preserving funds and enabling faster immigration action for jurisdictions that comply, while increasing federal leverage over localities and risking harms to immigrant–community trust, local project control, and potential legal challenges.
State and local governments that notify DHS before releasing detained noncitizens can continue receiving federal highway and transit funds, preserving planned local infrastructure projects and associated jobs.
DHS and other immigration enforcement officials will receive timelier notice of noncitizen releases, enabling them to initiate immigration enforcement actions sooner.
State and local governments get a clear one-year compliance deadline to decide whether to adopt the notification requirement, allowing planning and administrative preparation to retain federal funds.
Local governments that decline to adopt the notification requirement risk losing federal highway and infrastructure funding, which could delay local projects, cost jobs, and raise expenses for taxpayers.
Immigrant communities may be less willing to cooperate with local police or report crimes if local officials must share release timing with DHS, undermining public safety and increasing fear among immigrants.
Conditioning federal transportation funds on compliance with immigration-notification rules shifts federal leverage over state and local governments and could provoke legal challenges alleging federal coercion.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Conditions DOT infrastructure funding on localities adopting a 48-hour pre-release notification requirement to DHS for persons DHS has found not lawfully present.
Introduced March 6, 2025 by Jeff Crank · Last progress March 6, 2025
Blocks federal Department of Transportation funds for infrastructure projects to local governments that do not adopt a law, ordinance, policy, or practice requiring local officials to notify the Secretary of Homeland Security (or designee) at least 48 hours before releasing a detained noncitizen whom DHS has determined is not lawfully present and who has been in custody at least 48 hours. Localities must put such a notification requirement in place within one year of the bill becoming law, or they risk losing DOT grant or contract funding for covered infrastructure projects. The bill also makes a technical update to the table of chapters in Title 23 of the U.S. Code.