Sponsors (11)
Official title: Provide that sanctuary jurisdictions that provide benefits to aliens who are present in the United States without lawful status under the immigration laws are ineligible for Federal funds intended to benefit such aliens.
Introduced February 25, 2025 by James Risch · Last progress February 25, 2025
The bill increases federal oversight and uses funding incentives to force local cooperation with immigration enforcement, improving accountability for compliant jurisdictions while risking substantial reductions in services, funding, and trust for jurisdictions and vulnerable immigrant communities.
Local governments that do not provide services to undocumented immigrants keep full access to federal funds and face no new compliance burdens.
Federal funds may be redirected away from jurisdictions that provide services to undocumented immigrants toward jurisdictions aligned with federal immigration enforcement priorities, potentially benefiting taxpayers and compliant jurisdictions.
Regular reporting to Congressional oversight committees creates a public record and accountability that can enable targeted follow-up and incentivize greater cooperation with federal immigration requests.
Sanctuary jurisdictions could lose federal funding for food, shelter, healthcare, legal aid and transportation for undocumented people, reducing services for vulnerable residents.
States and localities that limit information-sharing or refuse ICE detainers risk losing federal grants or facing penalties if labelled 'sanctuary jurisdictions,' threatening major revenue streams.
Jurisdictions could forfeit large streams of federal aid based on officials' intent or program design, creating uncertainty and administrative burden as local officials must certify or avoid intended uses to keep funding.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Makes jurisdictions with certain "sanctuary" policies ineligible to receive federal funds intended to provide food, shelter, health care, legal services, or transportation to unlawfully present aliens.
Prohibits any State or local government that meets the bill's definition of a "sanctuary jurisdiction" from receiving federal funds that the jurisdiction intends to use to provide benefits to non-citizens unlawfully present in the United States. Benefits covered include food, shelter, health care, legal services, and transportation. Requires the Department of Homeland Security to report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees within one year of enactment and annually after that, identifying jurisdictions that failed to comply with certain Homeland Security requests relating to immigration detainers and notifications.