Sponsors (3)
The bill strengthens federal immigration enforcement by criminalizing interference with a standardized 48‑hour release-notice rule—improving federal awareness of released criminal aliens—but in doing so creates significant legal risk for local officials, potential costs for municipalities, and risks eroding trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.
DHS, taxpayers, and the public: creates a federal prosecution path for state and local officials who block at-least-48-hour release notices, reducing the chance that violent or sexual criminal aliens are released without federal awareness.
State and local governments: establishes tiered federal penalties (including long prison terms for serious violations) that deter jurisdictions from adopting sanctuary policies that could impede federal immigration enforcement.
DHS, state and local authorities: creates a standardized 48-hour notice expectation, producing clearer, more predictable procedures for release notifications between federal and local actors.
State and local officials (including elected executives) and local governance: exposes officials to lengthy federal prison terms for policy decisions, chilling local policymaking and cooperation on local public-safety priorities.
Immigrant communities and law enforcement: may erode trust and discourage cooperation with local police if cooperation with federal immigration enforcement is compelled or coerced, undermining community public-safety strategies.
State and local governments and taxpayers: could face increased legal and prosecution costs as municipalities defend officials or comply with new requirements, diverting local resources and raising costs for taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 20, 2026 by Lance Gooden · Last progress February 20, 2026
Creates a new federal crime that makes it illegal for a state or local responsible executive official, acting under color of law, to knowingly prohibit, limit, or restrict compliance with a formal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) request for reasonable advance notice of the scheduled release date and time of a "criminal alien." The measure adds tiered criminal penalties when such an official action results in the release from custody of the criminal alien. Penalties are tiered by the seriousness of the alien’s alleged or convicted offense: 10–25 years for murder, rape, or certain sex offenses involving minors; 5–10 years for "serious violent felonies"; and 30 days–6 months for other federal or state offenses. The bill defines key terms by cross-reference to existing immigration and criminal statutes and includes a severability clause and an amendment to the Title 18 table of sections.