State Accountability for Federal Deployment Costs Act of 2025

This bill would make a state pay back the federal government when federal military forces are sent in because the state didn’t reasonably cooperate with lawful federal immigration enforcement, and that lack of cooperation led to civil unrest or security threats. The Department of Defense would send the governor an invoice for costs like travel, lodging, meals, and transportation for personnel and their equipment. A public decision by the Department of Homeland Security, after consulting the Attorney General, would decide if the state failed to cooperate. States would have 180 days to pay. If a state doesn’t pay, the President could cancel some of that state’s federal discretionary grants to make up the difference.

Key points

• Who is affected: State and local governments; federal agencies like Defense and Homeland Security.
• What changes: States must reimburse federal costs for deployments tied to civil disturbances from immigration enforcement actions when the state didn’t reasonably cooperate. Covered costs include travel, lodging, meals, and transport of personnel and equipment. DHS (with the Attorney General) publicly decides if a state didn’t cooperate. Defense sends the bill; the President may offset nonpayment by pulling federal discretionary grants.
• When: Payment is due within 180 days after the state receives the invoice for the deployment costs.