Sponsors (11)
The bill increases federal leverage and transparency to enforce immigration cooperation—protecting and clarifying funding and oversight for compliant jurisdictions—but does so by conditioning aid and naming noncompliant areas in ways that risk cutting services for vulnerable residents, undermining community trust, and imposing new administrative burdens.
State and local governments that already cooperate with federal immigration authorities get clearer definitions and rules about what counts as a 'sanctuary jurisdiction', reducing legal uncertainty for officials who follow federal requests.
Local governments that do not provide services to undocumented immigrants can continue receiving federal funds without new compliance burdens, protecting current funding streams for compliant jurisdictions.
Federal reporting and public lists create greater oversight and accountability—giving Congress and the public regular information on which jurisdictions refused cooperation and creating an incentive for some states and localities to comply with DHS requests.
Undocumented immigrants and low-income residents in jurisdictions labeled 'sanctuary' would lose federal funding for food, shelter, healthcare, legal aid, and transportation, sharply reducing services for vulnerable people.
Immigrants in jurisdictions with restrictive local policies risk increased federal immigration enforcement and reduced access to counsel and due process if local policies are found to meet the bill's definition of noncompliance.
Local law enforcement may be pressured to prioritize immigration enforcement or comply with federal detainers, undermining community trust and community policing relationships with immigrant communities.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Makes jurisdictions that restrict immigration-status information sharing or refuse DHS detainer/notification requests ineligible for federal funds intended to benefit undocumented aliens (food, shelter, health care, legal services, transportation).
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
Makes any State or local jurisdiction that bars sharing immigration-status information with federal authorities or refuses to honor certain DHS detainer/notification requests ineligible to receive federal funds intended to provide benefits to undocumented noncitizens. It also requires DHS to report yearly to congressional judiciary committees identifying jurisdictions that failed to comply with those detainer/notification requests during the prior year. The funding ban applies to federal funds the jurisdiction intends to use for food, shelter, health care, legal services, transportation, and similar benefits for aliens unlawfully present.