Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities and Fallen Law Enforcement Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]
Introduced
Summary
Accountability for sanctuary jurisdictions. This bill would let victims sue states or localities that failed to comply with Department of Homeland Security detainer requests and would raise penalties for assaults and murders of law enforcement officers.
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- Families and victims would gain a private right of action to sue a State or local government if a crime of murder, rape, or any felony was committed by an alien who benefited from a sanctuary policy and who was arrested, convicted, or sentenced to at least one year in prison. Plaintiffs could recover attorney's fees and expert costs and would have up to 10 years after the crime to sue.
- States and localities that accept certain federal grants would need to waive immunity for sanctuary-related lawsuits as a condition of funding. Covered grants include public works and economic development grants, planning and administrative grants, supplemental grants, training and technical assistance grants, and community development block grants, with an explicit exception for Stafford Act disaster relief.
- Law enforcement would see tougher federal penalties. The bill would create a new minimum 20-year penalty for serious assaults using interstate instruments or weapons and treat murders of officers under similar interstate conditions as first-degree murder. The Attorney General must report on related prosecutions within three years.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Right to sue over sanctuary crimes
If enacted, the bill would let a victim — or the victim's spouse, parent, or child if the victim died or is permanently disabled — sue a State or local government for money when the crime was murder, rape, or a state felony and the accused noncitizen was arrested, convicted, or sentenced to at least one year. The suit would apply when the State or locality failed to honor a lawful DHS detainer or failed to notify DHS about the person's release. You would have up to 10 years from the crime or the death to file. If you win, a court would let you recover reasonable attorney and expert fees.
Tougher penalties for attacking officers
If enacted, the bill would add tougher federal penalties for serious attacks on law enforcement. It would impose a 20-year minimum prison term for assaults that cause serious injury to an officer when the offense meets an interstate-commerce connection. It would also make murders of covered officers subject to first-degree federal murder sentencing when the same interstate nexus exists. The Attorney General would report on related prosecutions within three years.
Federal responsibility for detainer actions
If enacted, the bill would treat a State or local officer who follows a lawful DHS detainer as acting for DHS. That would make the United States the defendant in most civil suits about that detention and shift liability to the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The bill would require those officers to follow federal delegation rules and says nothing in this change protects anyone who knowingly violates civil or constitutional rights.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]
NC • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov