Sponsor
Tony Gonzales
Representative · R-TX
Representative · R-TX
The bill expands CBP's ability to support state and local responses to violent incidents and clarifies deployment authority, trading faster, broader federal support for increased civil‑liberties risks for immigrants/minorities and potential diversion of border resources and taxpayer costs.
State and local law enforcement can receive additional federal operational support from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during violent incidents, expanding response capacity and backup for on-the-ground responders.
State and local governments face less legal ambiguity about which DHS components may be deployed, which can speed decision-making and deployments during crises.
Immigrants and racial/ethnic minority communities could face increased civil‑liberties risks because CBP involvement in domestic criminal investigations may blur the line between immigration enforcement and local policing.
Taxpayers and border-security operations may be harmed if deploying CBP to local investigations diverts resources from border missions and requires additional costly deployments.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Explicitly authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection to be deployed by DHS to assist state or local law enforcement investigating violent acts, shootings, and mass killings.
Official title: To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the deployment and assistance of CBP relating to investigations of certain violent acts, shootings, and mass killings, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 15, 2026 by Tony Gonzales · Last progress January 15, 2026
Amends federal law to explicitly allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to be deployed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist state or local law enforcement investigations of violent acts, shootings, and mass killings. The change adds CBP by name to the list of DHS components that may be sent to provide assistance alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This is a brief, targeted change to DHS deployment authority rather than a broad new program or funding directive.