# 119-s-3790: Protect America Act 119-s-3790, Protect America Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO] (R-MO); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3790 - As of: 2026-04-21 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-s-3790 - Congress: 119 - Title: Protect America Act - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2026-02-05 - Sponsor: Sen. Schmitt, Eric [R-MO] (R-MO) - Cosponsors: 1 - Policy area: Immigration - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-04-21 ## Summary **Conditions Federal funding on local cooperation with immigration enforcement.** It would tie covered Federal grants and contracts to bans on sanctuary policies and add detention reporting rules, a federal private right of action, student-visa limits, stiffer border penalties, and nonprofit tax changes. - Local governments: Would have to certify they do not adopt or maintain sanctuary policies to get covered Federal funds administered by the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, or Department of Transportation. Noncompliance can lead to termination, recovery, or ineligibility for funds and a 5-year lookback for recoverable funds. - Detention facilities and detainees: Facilities receiving covered funds would need to determine citizenship for each person and notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement within 24 hours for noncitizens. They must provide ongoing access, coordinate detainers, retain records at least five years, and face suspension or recovery of funds for violations. - Victims, schools, and nonprofits: Creates a private cause of action for people harmed by removable aliens when a sanctuary policy substantially impeded enforcement, permits compensatory damages and attorneys fees, and sets a 10-year statute of limitations. It would also let DHS limit F-1 and M-1 visas at institutions in identified jurisdictions and deny tax-exempt status to organizations that materially support criminal violence. ## Cosponsors (1) - Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC] (R-NC), 2026-02-24T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Limits on student visas in sanctuary areas: cost, medium. This bill would direct DHS to identify sanctuary jurisdictions each fiscal year and bar issuance of F-1 and M-1 visas for study at institutions located in those jurisdictions for that year. The ban would apply for the fiscal year unless DHS later removes the jurisdiction and reports that change to… - Federal funding and jail cooperation: cost, medium. This bill would make many DOJ, DHS, HUD, and DOT grants conditional on a jurisdiction certifying it has no sanctuary policy. The Attorney General and DHS would publish a public noncompliance list and give jurisdictions 30 days to cure after notice. Agencies could suspend, terminate, or recover cove… - Higher penalties for illegal entry and reentry: cost, medium. This bill would raise criminal penalties and civil fines for unlawful entry and for unlawful reentry. A first unlawful entry would carry 1 to 5 years in prison; a later unlawful entry 2 to 10 years; civil fines would be $25,000 to $100,000 per entry and mandatory detention would be required while p… - Nonprofit tax-exempt status limits: cost, low. This bill would add a rule denying 501(c)(3) tax-exempt treatment and related donor deduction rules to organizations that promote, incite, or materially support criminal violence. The change would apply for taxable years beginning after enactment. The bill includes a rule saying lawful advocacy and… - Stronger penalties for interfering with officers: cost, low. This bill would expand federal obstruction law to cover making loud noise with devices that impedes federal operations or audible communication. It would also raise penalties and add mandatory minimum prison terms for assaulting federal officers, and bar courts from suspending or reducing those min… - Civil lawsuits over sanctuary harms: mixed, medium. This bill would create a federal civil right to sue a covered jurisdiction when a listed serious violent felony is committed by a removable alien and a sanctuary policy materially blocked federal enforcement. A plaintiff would need to prove the policy, that the jurisdiction knew or should have know… ## Related bills - 119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act - 119-s-4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026 - 119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act - 119-s-292: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025 - 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 - 119-s-3752: SAVE America Act ## Sources - [119-s-3790 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3790) ## Related - [119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4952) - [119-s-4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4668) - [119-s-4378: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4378) - [119-s-292: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-292) - [119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923) - [119-s-3752: SAVE America Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3752) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3790 (as of 2026-04-21).