PRIA Logo™
119-s-3645119th Congress

Deportation Acceleration Act

Sponsored By: Senator Cotton, Tom [R-AR]

Introduced

Summary

Speeds deportations by forcing real-time local reporting of criminal convictions, expanding expedited removal to people convicted of a felony or two misdemeanors, shortening appeal windows, and penalizing sanctuary jurisdictions.

Show full summary
  • Families and noncitizens: Removal proceedings would start automatically when a conviction makes a noncitizen removable under 8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(2). Faster starts and tighter appeal timelines mean fewer long delays in criminal removal cases.
  • Local governments and law enforcement: State and local authorities must build reporting systems within 180 days and report convictions to DHS within 24 hours. Jurisdictions that do not certify cooperation can face up to a 15% withholding of Highway Trust Fund apportionments, with grace periods and hardship appeals.
  • Courts and DHS operations: Immigration courts would prioritize criminal removal dockets and face strict appeal deadlines, including a 120-day cap for certain petitions and other 30-day deadlines. The bill authorizes $150.0 million per year for DHS to fund cooperative enforcement, detainers, and information sharing.

*Authorizes $150.0 million in annual DHS funding and adds a 15% Highway Trust Fund withholding mechanism, increasing federal spending authority and altering federal outflows.*

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Faster conviction reporting to Homeland Security

If enacted, the bill would require the Attorney General, in consultation with DHS, to set up within 180 days a process for State and local courts and law enforcement to report every criminal conviction of a noncitizen to DHS. Reports would have to be sent to DHS within 24 hours of entering the conviction using existing federal databases. When DHS learns a conviction makes someone removable under federal law, DHS would start removal by issuing a Notice to Appear or an immigration detainer.

Faster removals and appeals for criminal cases

If enacted, the bill would expand expedited removal to any noncitizen convicted of a felony or two misdemeanors. The Attorney General would be able to determine deportability and issue removal orders under the faster procedures, and the change would apply even if the crime or conviction happened before enactment. The bill would also require immigration courts to prioritize criminal removal cases and aim to resolve appeals in prioritized criminal removal cases within 120 days, and it shortens certain statutory deadlines from 180 or 90 days to 30 days.

Grants and highway penalties for jurisdictions

If enacted, the bill would give DHS $150,000,000 each year starting in fiscal year 2026 for competitive grants to States and local governments that fully cooperate with immigration detainers, 287(g) agreements, and information sharing. Grants could pay for detention space, officer training, and enforcement equipment. Also, starting the first fiscal year after enactment, the Secretary of Transportation would withhold 15 percent of a sanctuary jurisdiction's Highway Trust Fund payment unless the jurisdiction certifies it no longer meets the bill's definition. A jurisdiction would have 180 days to certify and could appeal a withholding to the Attorney General on grounds of undue hardship.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Cotton, Tom [R-AR]

AR • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation