# 119-s-3782: Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities and Fallen Law Enforcement Act of 2026

119-s-3782, Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities and Fallen Law Enforcement Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3782
- As of: 2026-08-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3782
- Congress: 119
- Title: Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities and Fallen Law Enforcement Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-02-05
- Sponsor: Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**Creates civil liability for sanctuary jurisdictions.** This bill would let victims sue States or localities for serious crimes committed by immigrants who benefited from sanctuary policies and would also tie some federal grants to immunity waivers, require cooperation with Department of Homeland Security detainers, and increase penalties for crimes against officers. - Families and victims: Victims or heirs could bring federal or state lawsuits for murder, rape, or any state-defined felony tied to an alien processed under DHS. Lawsuits face a 10-year statute of limitations and prevailing plaintiffs can recover reasonable attorney fees and other costs. - State and local governments: States and subdivisions that accept specified federal grants must waive sovereign immunity for sanctuary-related civil actions. The grant types named include certain DHS public works and planning grants and community development block grants. - Law enforcement officers: Assaults causing serious injury with weapons that traveled in interstate commerce would carry a minimum 20-year sentence. Murder of a federal or state or local officer linked to interstate commerce would be treated as first-degree murder and the Attorney General must report prosecutions to Judiciary committees within 3 years. - Federal-state cooperation and liability: Officers acting pursuant to a DHS detainer would be deemed DHS agents and detainer-related claims would substitute the United States as defendant with the exclusive remedy under 28 U.S.C. 1346(b). The bill also states it does not provide immunity to anyone who knowingly violates civil or constitutional rights.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Victims' lawsuits over sanctuary harms: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would let a victim — or a victim's spouse, parent, or child if the victim died or is permanently disabled — sue a State or local government when an alien who was arrested, convicted, or sentenced at least one year later committed murder, rape, or another qualifying felony and t…
- Stronger federal penalties for attacks on officers: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would increase federal penalties for assaults and murders of law enforcement officers when interstate commerce is involved. It would make certain murders of Federal officers (and of State or local officers in some interstate cases) punishable as first-degree murder under federa…
- Local officials following federal detainers: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would treat a State, local government, or officer who acts under a DHS detainer as an agent of the federal government. Officials acting in accordance with a detainer would be treated like federal employees, and the exclusive remedy for detainer-related seizures or detentions wo…
- Who counts as 'alien' or sanctuary: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would define key terms used throughout the measure. It would use the federal definition of 'alien' from 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(3). A 'sanctuary jurisdiction' would be any State or local government whose laws, policies, or practices bar sharing immigration status information or that p…
- Grant funding tied to liability: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would make certain federal grants conditional on a State or local government giving up sovereign immunity for sanctuary-related civil suits. Covered grants include several Economic Development Administration grant types and Community Development Block Grants under Title I, but…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-s-4498: ABLE Tomorrow Act
- 119-s-2438: Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-1949: Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act

## Sources
- [119-s-3782 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3782)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541)
- [119-s-4498: ABLE Tomorrow Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4498)
- [119-s-2438: Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2438)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-1949: Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1949)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3782 (as of 2026-08-11).