HR7423119th Congress

No Sanctuary Cities Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Carter (GA)

Introduced

Summary

This bill would strengthen and codify information-sharing obligations between State and local governments and the Department of Homeland Security for immigration and custody data. It would ban local policies that materially restrict sharing and add rules, protections, and enforcement to make sharing more consistent and enforceable.

Show full summary
  • State and local governments would be barred from policies that prohibit, delay, condition, or penalize sharing defined immigration and custody information. The law would define what counts as shareable information, like immigration status and release dates.
  • People in criminal custody would trigger specific notice rules: for scheduled releases DHS must get notice no later than 48 hours before release when the release is known at least 48 hours in advance. For unscheduled releases DHS must be notified immediately and custody may be held up to 48 hours to allow a DHS transfer.
  • Local law enforcement officers acting within their official duties would get immunity from personal liability comparable to Federal officers for duties tied to immigration information, detention, identification, and transfers.
  • The Department of Homeland Security would be required to respond to lawful inquiries that verify citizenship or immigration status.
  • The Attorney General could sue to enforce compliance and states found to knowingly violate the rule could face ineligibility for Department of Justice law-enforcement grants.

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Federal enforcement and grant penalties

This bill would let the Attorney General sue in federal court to enforce the information-sharing rules. If a court finds a State or local government knowingly violated the rules, the jurisdiction could be declared ineligible for Department of Justice law-enforcement grants as the Attorney General specifies. These enforcement powers would take effect upon enactment.

DHS status checks and custody holds

This bill would require DHS to answer status checks from federal, state, or local agencies about a person's immigration or citizenship status. When DHS asks about a specific person in criminal custody, the State or local government would have to notify DHS of scheduled releases at least 48 hours before release. For court-ordered releases given with less than 48 hours' notice, the government would have to notify DHS immediately and hold the person up to 48 hours so DHS can assume custody. The bill would also give state and local officers the same personal-immunity protections as federal officers when performing these duties. These rules would take effect upon enactment.

Stops local limits on sharing

This bill would define what counts as law-enforcement or custody "information" and what it means to "materially restrict" sharing. It would bar a State or local government from having laws, policies, or practices that stop, delay, condition, or punish sharing that information with DHS or other government agencies. It would also bar disciplining officials who lawfully share that information. These definitions and the ban would take effect upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Carter (GA)

GA • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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