Stop Sanctuary Cities Act

Stop Sanctuary Cities Act

This bill makes it unlawful for any state or political subdivision to:

• restrict or prohibit a government entity or official from sending to or receiving from the responsible federal immigration agency information regarding an individual's citizenship or immigration status, or from maintaining or exchanging information about an individual's status; or
• fail to comply with a immigration-related detainer that has been lawfully issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Any state or subdivision that:

• violates such prohibition shall be ineligible for State Criminal Alien Assistance Program funds; and
• does not come into compliance with such requirements within 180 days of receiving noncompliance notification from DHS shall be ineligible for assistance under the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.

Funding may not be withheld until DHS has: (1) notified a state or subdivision of its noncompliance, and (2) determined that voluntary compliance cannot be secured.

No liability shall lie with a state or subdivision that is acting in compliance with a lawfully issued DHS detainer solely because the state or subdivision is holding an alien in compliance with such detainer.

Nothing in this Act may be construed to require law enforcement officials of a state or a subdivision to provide DHS with information related to a victim or a witness to a criminal offense.