Sponsors (2)
The bill shifts financial leverage to the federal government to compel state cooperation with immigration enforcement—potentially lowering federal costs and standardizing enforcement—but at the cost of new burdens on state and local budgets, increased risk of militarized domestic deployments, politicized federal–state conflict, and possible reductions in local services.
Federal taxpayers may be reimbursed for Department of Defense deployment costs when states are found to obstruct federal immigration enforcement, reducing net federal expenditures.
States and localities that cooperate with federal immigration operations avoid DoD billing and enforcement-related deployments, creating a financial incentive to support federal actions and encouraging more consistent nationwide enforcement (potentially improving national security responses).
Establishes a public, interagency determination process (DHS with DOJ consult) about when a State 'materially hinders' federal immigration enforcement, increasing transparency around reasons for federal deployments and clarifying federal authority.
States and localities could face substantial new financial liabilities (DoD TDY, lodging, transport, and reimbursement of deployment costs) that shift significant budget burdens onto state/local budgets and their taxpayers.
Tying federal deployments and potential use of the National Guard or active-duty military to immigration enforcement increases the risk of militarization of civilian jurisdictions and raises civil‑liberties and public‑safety concerns for immigrants, people with disabilities, and local communities.
The threat of reimbursement, federal deployment, or other penalties could politicize and strain federal–state relations, leading to contested determinations of 'material hindrance,' legal challenges, and uncertainty over state and local policing authority (including sanctuary policies).
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Allows the federal government to invoice States for military deployment costs tied to civil disturbances from federal immigration enforcement and rescind grants if invoices go unpaid.
Official title: Require any State to reimburse the Federal Government for costs incurred when Federal military forces are deployed in response to civil disturbances or security threats caused by the State's refusal to cooperate with lawful Federal immigration enforcement.
Introduced July 16, 2025 by Marsha Blackburn · Last progress July 16, 2025
Requires the Secretary of Defense to bill a State for costs when Federal military forces (including National Guard and Selected Reserve members) are deployed under federal authority to respond to civil disturbances that arise from lawful federal immigration enforcement and where a State or locality materially failed to cooperate. The Department of Homeland Security, after consulting the Attorney General, must publicly determine whether the State or locality materially hindered enforcement; States must pay invoices within 180 days or face potential rescission of discretionary federal grants by the President to recoup unpaid amounts. Reimbursable items include travel, per diem, lodging, and transportation for personnel and equipment. The law frames immigration enforcement as a federal power and seeks to hold noncooperative States and localities financially accountable for the cost of federal deployments triggered by their lack of cooperation.