Sarah's Law
Sponsored By: Senator Joni Ernst
Introduced
Summary
Mandatory detention and victim notification for certain non‑U.S. nationals charged with crimes causing death or serious bodily injury. This bill would expand the grounds that require ICE to detain some non‑U.S. nationals and would require the agency to obtain and share information with crime victims and their families.
Show full summary
- Victims and families: Victims, or a relative or guardian of a deceased victim, would receive timely, ongoing information about the detained individual. Information must include the person’s full name and aliases, date of birth, country of nationality, immigration status, criminal history, custody status and changes, and a description of U.S. removal efforts. It also preserves victims' rights under federal law (18 U.S.C. 3771).
- People charged with deadly or injurious crimes: The bill would require detention of aliens unlawfully present who are charged with any crime that resulted in death or serious bodily injury. It also covers aliens who were not inspected and admitted, those whose nonimmigrant visa or admission documentation was revoked under section 221(i), and aliens described in section 237(a)(1)(C)(i).
- ICE duties and legal change: The bill would amend Section 236(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to add the detention ground and direct the Assistant Secretary for ICE to make reasonable efforts to obtain victim information when encountering or learning about such an alien.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
More notice for crime victims
If enacted, ICE would have to try to find victims and get their contact information for certain noncitizen defendants. ICE would have to tell victims or closest relatives the alien's name, aliases, birth date, and nationality. ICE would also provide the alien's immigration status, criminal history, custody status and changes, and any government removal efforts. This duty would start upon enactment.
Victims' rights remain protected
If enacted, the bill would say nothing in it limits crime victims' rights under other laws. That explicitly includes the federal victims' rights law. This confirmation would take effect upon enactment.
Mandatory detention for violent noncitizens
If enacted, the bill would add a rule that some noncitizens charged with crimes causing death or serious injury must be detained. It would apply to people not lawfully admitted, some visa holders whose visas were revoked, and others listed in immigration law. The detention duty would trigger when a U.S. prosecutor charges the person with a crime that resulted in death or serious bodily injury. This change would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Joni Ernst
IA • R
Cosponsors
Chuck Grassley
IA • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Katie Britt
AL • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
James Lankford
OK • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Kevin Cramer
ND • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Bill Hagerty
TN • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Tim Scott
SC • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Ted Cruz
TX • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Ted Budd
NC • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Mike Crapo
ID • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Steve Daines
MT • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
John Cornyn
TX • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Jerry Moran
KS • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Bill Cassidy
LA • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Lindsey Graham
SC • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Deb Fischer
NE • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Roger Marshall
KS • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Tim Sheehy
MT • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
James Risch
ID • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
John Curtis
UT • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Rick Scott
FL • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Pete Ricketts
NE • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Mike Rounds
SD • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Shelley Capito
WV • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
John Kennedy
LA • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Markwayne Mullin
OK • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Cindy Hyde-Smith
MS • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Josh Hawley
MO • R
Sponsored 1/14/2025
Marsha Blackburn
TN • R
Sponsored 1/15/2025
David McCormick
PA • R
Sponsored 1/15/2025
John Fetterman
PA • D
Sponsored 1/16/2025
John Hoeven
ND • R
Sponsored 1/16/2025
Roger Wicker
MS • R
Sponsored 1/20/2025
Jim Banks
IN • R
Sponsored 1/20/2025
Dan Sullivan
AK • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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