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The bill uses federal highway funding to push states toward immigration-related identity checks that may improve ID verification and some public-safety outcomes, but at the cost of denying licenses to some residents, risking major funding losses and project delays, eroding trust with immigrant communities, and triggering administrative and legal burdens.
State governments that cooperate with federal immigration information-sharing and detainer requirements will keep full federal highway funding, supporting road and bridge projects and construction jobs.
Drivers and the traveling public may see improved identity verification and greater alignment with REAL ID standards, which can streamline credentialing and interstate travel.
Taxpayers and road users could experience fewer accidents if driver's-license issuance includes lawful-presence checks, potentially reducing public-safety costs.
Immigrants and applicants who cannot prove lawful presence could be denied driver's licenses or IDs, limiting mobility for work, school, and family responsibilities.
States that do not meet the federal cooperation requirements risk losing 5–10% of core highway formula funds, delaying road projects and shifting costs to local taxpayers and contractors.
Pressuring state and local law enforcement to comply with ICE detainers and share immigration data could erode trust with immigrant communities, undermining public-safety cooperation and raising civil-liberties concerns.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 4, 2026 by Thomas Bryant Cotton · Last progress February 4, 2026
Conditions a portion of federal highway formula funds on state immigration-related practices by requiring states to (1) allow information sharing with federal immigration authorities, (2) require proof of lawful presence for driver's licenses consistent with the REAL ID evidence standard, and (3) cooperate with ICE detainers. Starting October 1, 2026, the Department of Transportation must withhold 5% of apportioned highway funds for the first year of noncompliance and 10% for each subsequent year until the state comes into compliance. States must annually certify compliance and provide statutes, policies, and license issuance data; the Secretary may audit, regulate, appeal determinations, and provide technical assistance.