# Plain Language Summary: Mobilizing Against Sanctuary Cities Act

This bill would cut off federal funding to cities and states that don't cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Specifically, it targets what are called "sanctuary cities"—places that have policies limiting how much their local police and officials help federal immigration authorities enforce immigration laws. The bill says that any state or local government violating a 1996 federal law requiring them to share immigration information with federal authorities would lose all federal financial assistance.

The practical impact would be significant for many communities. Federal financial assistance covers a wide range of programs that cities and states depend on—things like highway funding, education grants, law enforcement grants, and social services. If a city or state is deemed non-compliant, it would lose access to all of this money for at least a year. The Attorney General would decide each year which jurisdictions are breaking the rules and report these findings to Congress every March 1st. Individual members of Congress could also request reports on specific cities or states.

The bill essentially uses federal funding as leverage to force local governments to participate in immigration enforcement, even if their own communities have voted for different policies. Cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, which have sanctuary policies, could potentially lose billions in federal funding if this bill passed. This would affect not just immigration enforcement but also local services that depend on federal money, potentially impacting schools, roads, and public safety programs that have nothing to do with immigration policy.

Mobilizing Against Sanctuary Cities Act

Duncan, Jeff

Mobilizing Against Sanctuary Cities Act This bill imposes penalties on certain state and local governments that do not assist federal immigration enforcement actions. Specifically, a state or local government shall be ineligible for federal financial assistance for at least one year if it restricts or prohibits an agency or official from (1) communicating with the responsible federal immigration agency regarding an individual's citizenship or immigration status, or (2) maintaining or exchanging information about an individual's status. (Jurisdictions that take such actions are sometimes referred to as sanctuary cities or sanctuary jurisdictions.) The bill restores eligibility for federal assistance if the Department of Justice (DOJ) determines that the jurisdiction no longer takes such actions. DOJ shall determine each year which state or local jurisdictions are ineligible for federal assistance under this bill and report such determinations to Congress.