Sponsors (3)
The bill provides targeted, multi‑year federal funding and oversight to boost local and state efforts against cartels and organized crime, but does so at the risk of police militarization and civil‑rights impacts, while diverting funds from other federal priorities and creating procurement complications.
Residents of high‑crime and border communities, and local/state law enforcement, will get dedicated federal support to form specialized units and operations to target organized crime and cartels, improving public safety (includes equipment, training, and hiring funded by the program).
State and local governments and police agencies receive predictable, multi‑year funding ($50M per year for FY2026–2030), enabling better planning and sustained investment in personnel, equipment, and training.
Taxpayers and Congress gain greater transparency and oversight because grantees and uses of funds must be reported to Congress annually, improving accountability for how the grants are spent.
Racial and ethnic minority communities and border communities face increased risk of aggressive enforcement and civil‑rights harms as expanded tactical capabilities and cross‑jurisdictional units could lead to harsher policing practices.
Local governments and the public may see further police militarization because grants explicitly allow purchase of tactical vehicles, firearms, body armor, and drones, which can erode community trust.
Workers and programs funded by the Department of Labor could lose resources because the grant funding is paid for via a rescission from the Labor Department, effectively shifting money away from labor priorities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Allows DOJ community policing grants to fund specialized units to combat organized crime and cartels and provides $50M/year for FY2026–FY2030 with rulemaking and reporting requirements.
Introduced December 19, 2025 by Pat Harrigan · Last progress December 19, 2025
Allows the Department of Justice’s public safety and community policing grant program to fund creation of specialized units that target organized crime, cartel operations, and transnational criminal organizations. Grants may cover hiring, equipment, training, and other costs for those units, and applications from jurisdictions with documented cartel/gang/transnational criminal activity are prioritized. Provides $50 million per year for FY2026–FY2030 (total $250 million) specifically for these grants, requires the Attorney General to finalize program rules within 180 days of enactment, and mandates an annual report to Congress listing grantees and describing grant uses. The legislation specifies the funding source as amounts rescinded by the Secretary of Labor per a public release dated June 13, 2025.