HR578119th Congress

Sarah’s Law

Sponsored By: Representative Feenstra

Introduced

Summary

Requires mandatory detention and ongoing victim notification for non‑U.S. nationals charged with or admitting to acts that caused death or serious bodily injury. It changes immigration law to add new inadmissibility and deportability categories and to require detainers and federal custody for those individuals.

Show full summary
  • Victims and families: DHS must obtain victim identity information and provide the victim or a close relative timely and ongoing updates, including the individual's name, date of birth, nationality, immigration status, criminal history, custody status, and any removal efforts.
  • Non‑U.S. nationals implicated in violent crimes: The bill creates a new detention pathway that renders such individuals inadmissible or deportable under specified Immigration and Nationality Act categories when they are charged, arrested, convicted, or admit to acts whose elements resulted in death or serious bodily injury.
  • Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice: DHS or DOJ must detain these individuals, issue detainers, and, if they are not already held by state or local officials, promptly take them into federal custody.
  • Victim rights preserved: The bill explicitly preserves any other legal rights crime victims already have under federal law, including those in 18 U.S.C. 3771.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Immigration case updates for crime victims

If enacted, crime victims would get ongoing updates from DHS about the noncitizen in the case. If the victim died, a parent, guardian, spouse, or closest relative would get the updates. DHS would share the person’s name and aliases, birth date, country, immigration and criminal status, custody changes, and removal steps. The bill also says it would not limit other victims’ rights, including under 18 U.S.C. 3771.

Detention of noncitizens tied to deadly crimes

If enacted, DHS would have to detain some noncitizens tied to crimes causing death or serious bodily injury. It would cover people who entered without permission, used fraud, or lacked proper papers. It would also cover those with a revoked nonimmigrant visa, or who failed to keep visa status. It would apply when the person is charged, arrested, convicted, or admits the acts. DHS would issue a detainer and take custody if other officials are not holding the person.

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Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Feenstra

IA • R

Cosponsors

  • Tenney

    NY • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Ciscomani

    AZ • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Estes

    KS • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Bost

    IL • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rouzer

    NC • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Nehls

    TX • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • DesJarlais

    TN • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1]

    MN • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]

    NE • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Salazar

    FL • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Aderholt

    AL • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Miller (IL)

    IL • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Garbarino

    NY • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • McClintock

    CA • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1]

    SC • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Bergman

    MI • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [R-IA-1]

    IA • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Balderson

    OH • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]

    LA • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Hinson, Ashley [R-IA-2]

    IA • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Babin

    TX • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Edwards

    NC • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Schmidt

    KS • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Tiffany

    WI • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Hamadeh, Abraham J. [R-AZ-8]

    AZ • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Evans (CO)

    CO • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Timmons

    SC • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2]

    MI • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • LaMalfa

    CA • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Crenshaw

    TX • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Wied

    WI • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Ogles, Andrew [R-TN-5]

    TN • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Brecheen

    OK • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3]

    IA • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Ellzey

    TX • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6]

    OH • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Downing, Troy [R-MT-2]

    MT • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Sessions

    TX • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • McDowell

    NC • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Johnson (SD)

    SD • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Biggs (SC)

    SC • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. McCormick, Richard [R-GA-7]

    GA • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2025

  • Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4]

    UT • R

    Sponsored 1/22/2025

  • Rutherford

    FL • R

    Sponsored 1/22/2025

  • Hudson

    NC • R

    Sponsored 1/28/2025

  • Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1]

    MD • R

    Sponsored 1/28/2025

  • Donalds

    FL • R

    Sponsored 1/31/2025

  • Moore (NC)

    NC • R

    Sponsored 2/10/2025

  • Huizenga

    MI • R

    Sponsored 2/10/2025

  • Langworthy

    NY • R

    Sponsored 2/10/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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