# Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act: Plain Language Summary

This bill is designed to penalize cities and states that have adopted "sanctuary" policies—rules that limit how much local police cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Specifically, the bill would cut federal funding from any city or state that has policies preventing local law enforcement from sharing information about someone's immigration status with federal immigration authorities, or policies that restrict police from helping federal agents detain people suspected of being in the country illegally.

The bill affects local governments and their residents. If a city or state adopts sanctuary policies and the bill becomes law, that jurisdiction could lose federal grants and funding for various programs. This could impact services like law enforcement grants, community development funds, and other federal money that cities and states typically rely on. The practical effect would be to pressure local governments to change their sanctuary policies or face financial consequences, since losing federal funding can force cuts to local services and programs.

Sanctuary policies exist in many major cities and some states, typically based on the idea that local police should focus on local crime rather than immigration enforcement, and that immigrants—including undocumented ones—should feel safe reporting crimes and cooperating with police without fear of deportation. Supporters of this bill argue that sanctuary policies obstruct federal immigration law, while critics argue the bill would punish entire communities and undermine public safety by discouraging immigrants from working with local police.

Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act

Toomey, Patrick

Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act This bill prohibits a sanctuary jurisdiction from receiving grants under certain Economic Development Assistance Programs and the Community Development Block Grant Program. Under the bill, a sanctuary jurisdiction is a state or local government that has in effect a statute, policy, or practice that prohibits or restricts (1) information sharing with another government entity about an individual's immigration status, or (2) compliance with a lawfully issued Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainer request or notification of release request. When complying with a DHS-issued detainer, a state or local government shall be deemed to be acting as an agent of DHS with all authority available to DHS officers and employees. The bill also limits the legal liability of a state or local government for complying with a detainer.