Sponsors (17)
The bill clarifies Byrne JAG grant rules and preserves federal support for law enforcement in compliant states, but it ties that funding to state licensing and information-sharing policies in ways that can coerce state/local changes, threaten immigrant privacy, and penalize jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
States that comply with the bill keep access to Byrne JAG funds so state and local law-enforcement programs continue receiving federal support for crime prevention and public safety.
The bill provides a clearer, uniform definition of what Byrne JAG grants can fund and what counts as immigration enforcement information, reducing ambiguity for grant administrators and recipients.
Agencies that handle detention and release records receive clearer guidance on categorizing immigration-enforcement information, supporting more consistent data handling across jurisdictions.
States that issue driver's licenses without proof of lawful presence or that limit immigration-information sharing risk losing unobligated Byrne JAG funds within 30 days, sharply reducing federal funding available for local policing and public-safety programs.
Jurisdictions that limit cooperation or information-sharing with federal immigration authorities (for policy or trust reasons) may be effectively penalized, risking loss of federal programs and undermining community policing and local trust in law enforcement.
More immigration status and release details could be designated as immigration-enforcement information, increasing data sharing or use by law enforcement and raising privacy and civil‑liberties risks for immigrants and detained people.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Makes Byrne JAG grant eligibility contingent on states not issuing driver licenses without proof of citizenship/lawful presence and allowing immigration-status data sharing with DHS; noncompliant states must return unobligated funds and lose eligibility.
Introduced September 3, 2025 by Jodey Cook Arrington · Last progress September 3, 2025
Conditions eligibility for Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) funds on state policies about driver licenses and immigration-data sharing. States that issue driver licenses to people without proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence, or that bar local/state entities from collecting or sharing immigration enforcement information with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), must return unobligated Byrne JAG funds within 30 days and are ineligible for future Byrne JAG funds until they change those policies.