(The Center Square) – Republicans in the U.S. Senate, led by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have filed a bill to provide protections for law enforcement officials in sanctuary jurisdictions and expand penalties for noncompliance with federal immigration enforcement.
Cruz filed the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act to ensure state and local law enforcement officers have legal protections when cooperating with federal immigration officials targeting the most dangerous criminal offenders illegally in the U.S.
“Sanctuary cities continue to defy the law by releasing dangerous criminals back into our communities instead of turning them over to federal immigration authorities,” Cruz said. “These policies jeopardize the safety of American citizens and undermine both public safety and the rule of law. We should hold these jurisdictions accountable, and the Senate should expeditiously take up and advance this legislation.”
The bill would authorize local cooperation with federal immigration officials to act as an agent of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A state, political subdivision of a state, or their employees or agents who comply with an ICE detainer request “shall be deemed to be acting as an agent of” DHS and “have all authority available to officers and employees of” DHS, the bill states.
It also would create legal protections for states, political subdivisions or their employees from challenges to detainer request compliance and detention of illegal foreign nationals.
“No liability shall lie against such state or political subdivisions for actions taken in compliance with such detainer,” the bill states. It explains that those who comply with the detainer request “shall be deemed to be an employee of the federal government and an investigative or law enforcement officer” acting under federal authority.
The bill defines a sanctuary jurisdiction as “any state or political subdivision that has in effect a statute, ordinance, policy, or practice that prohibits or restricts any government entity or official from … sending, receiving, maintaining, or exchanging with any federal, state, or local government entity information regarding the citizenship or immigration status (lawful or unlawful) of any individual; or … complying with a request lawfully made by” DHS/ICE.
The bill also would create a penalty for sanctuary jurisdictions that refuse to comply with ICE detainer requests by making them ineligible for federal funding. It would amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 by stating that a sanctuary jurisdiction is ineligible to receive Economic Development Administration grants for training, research and technical assistance. It would amend Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to prohibit sanctuary jurisdictions from receiving community development block grants.
The bill also would require state and local governments to return any grant money they received through these programs while imposing sanctuary policies.
Cruz previously filed the bill in 2023, which went nowhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate. The bill has multiple Republican cosponsors.
It’s the latest in a series of bills filed by Cruz and Republican senators to increase penalties related to illegal immigration and crime.
Earlier this month, Cruz filed a bill to increase penalties for illegal border crossers who evade arrest, including increasing prison sentences, The Center Square reported. The bill was named after a Border Patrol agent who was killed in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas while pursuing illegal border crossers attempting to evade arrest.
Cruz also filed the Stop Illegal Reentry Act, known as Kate’s Law, named after a California woman who was shot and killed in San Francisco by a Mexican national illegally in the country. Due to the city’s sanctuary city policies, the jail refused to comply with an ICE detainer request and released him. Had he been detained, her family argues, she would not have been killed.
U.S. Sen. Tedd Budd, R-NC, also filed the POLICE Act, requiring illegal border crossers who assault law enforcement officers, firefighters or other first responders to be deported. Similarly, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, filed the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act, which authorizes victims and their family members to sue state or political subdivisions for compensation. The bills have multiple Republican cosponsors.
The bills were filed as some local Democratic lawmakers are fighting Trump administration deportation efforts, including in multiple sanctuary jurisdictions in Massachusetts. The cities of Chelsea and Somerville sued the Trump administration this week arguing that stripping sanctuary cities of federal funding that don’t comply with deportation efforts is unconstitutional.
America First Legal argues that hundreds of sanctuary jurisdiction officials are likely to be sued for RICO violations, The Center Square reported.
Despite some local opposition, ICE agents are apprehending thousands of the most violent offenders nationwide, The Center Square reported.
This article was originally published at www.thecentersquare.com
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