Sponsors (11)
The bill strengthens federal clarity and tools for consistent immigration enforcement and protects federal program integrity, but it does so by empowering DOJ to withhold or restore federal funds—raising risks of politicized funding decisions, strained federal‑state relations, disrupted local services, and reduced local oversight.
Federal law enforcement officers (and the agencies that employ them) are affirmed protection from local interference when performing immigration duties, and the bill clarifies federal primacy for immigration enforcement, reducing legal uncertainty about jurisdictional authority.
States and localities that cooperate with federal immigration enforcement keep access to federal grants, and the bill gives federal agencies a mechanism to penalize jurisdictions that impede enforcement, promoting more consistent enforcement across jurisdictions.
Agencies, courts, and grant recipients get clearer statutory definitions of who counts as a "Federal law enforcement officer" and which instruments qualify as "Federal funds," reducing ambiguity when applying the law.
State and local governments risk losing federal funds for an entire fiscal year if deemed to impede federal officers, which could produce significant budget shortfalls for schools, public safety, and social services for millions of residents.
Concentrating authority to withhold or restore federal funds in the Attorney General/Department of Justice could politicize grant decisions and create uncertainty for jurisdictions that rely on federal assistance.
The bill is likely to heighten tensions and conflict between the federal government and states/localities that prefer different immigration or public-safety approaches, increasing intergovernmental strain.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Introduced December 11, 2025 by Jodey Cook Arrington · Last progress December 11, 2025
Conditions federal grants and other federal financial assistance on States and localities not arresting, detaining, prosecuting, or otherwise interfering with federal law enforcement officers carrying out immigration enforcement. The Attorney General, after consulting the Secretary of Homeland Security, determines whether a State or local government engaged in such conduct; a finding makes that jurisdiction ineligible for federal financial assistance for the fiscal year in which the conduct occurred (starting FY2026). Funds withheld may be restored only after the Attorney General certifies the jurisdiction has stopped the conduct and provided written assurances it will not recur.