Sponsor
Pat Harrigan
Representative · R-NC
Representative · R-NC
The bill increases manpower, clearer state authority, and stronger federal protections for immigration enforcement at the border, but does so by expanding the military's domestic role and federal criminal penalties—heightening civil‑liberty risks, legal uncertainty, community distrust, and fiscal costs.
Border-state governors and the National Guard gain clearer authority to be mobilized for border security and immigration enforcement, increasing manpower available for apprehension and removal operations.
Federal immigration officers and cooperating state/local officers receive stronger federal protections and harsher penalties for assaults or interference, creating a more uniform federal standard and greater deterrence against attacks on covered personnel.
Immigrants, protesters, and border communities face increased militarization of domestic law enforcement and erosion of civil liberties as the National Guard and military roles expand into immigration enforcement.
People who obstruct, protest, or otherwise interfere with deportation or immigration operations (including community members and some local actors) could face severe federal mandatory minimums and life‑or‑death penalties, substantially expanding federal criminalization and reducing judicial discretion.
Local governments, law enforcement, and military personnel face increased legal uncertainty and accountability risks because of ambiguous oversight, unclear rules of engagement, and broad definitions that could pull routine local policing actions into federal prosecutions.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Allows National Guard use for immigration enforcement/border security and creates a new federal crime with severe penalties for interfering with immigration officers.
Official title: To amend title 18, United States Code, to authorize the use of National Guard forces for immigration enforcement purposes, to establish criminal penalties for assaulting immigration enforcement officers, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 23, 2025 by Pat Harrigan · Last progress June 23, 2025
Amends the Posse Comitatus Act to allow National Guard members to participate in immigration enforcement and border security when serving under state orders or when on Title 10/32 duty used exclusively for immigration enforcement or border operations. Creates a new federal crime making it illegal to assault, impede, intimidate, or interfere with federal immigration officers or state/local officers acting under federal authority during immigration enforcement, with severe mandatory minimum penalties for injury (10–30 years) and life imprisonment or death if death results.