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SENATE 59117th CongressReferred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (text: CR S744)

An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Last Action
2/13/2021

Actions

  • 2021-01-27Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  • 2021-01-27Introduced in Senate

CRS Summary

As of 2021-01-27 (00)

Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act of 2021

This bill provides a private right of action against state and local jurisdictions with certain policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts, and contains additional provisions related to such jurisdictions. Currently, such cooperation is generally not required.

An individual (or certain relatives of such an individual) who is the victim of any felony for which an alien has been arrested, convicted, or sentenced to a prison term of at least one year may sue a state or local jurisdiction if the jurisdiction failed to comply with (1) certain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requests related to arresting and detaining aliens, and (2) a DHS request to detain the alien in question or provide a notification about the release of the alien. A jurisdiction that accepts certain federal grants may not assert immunity in such a civil action.

A jurisdiction (or employee of a jurisdiction) that complies with certain DHS detainer requests shall be deemed to be acting as an agent of DHS. A complying jurisdiction or employee of the jurisdiction shall not be liable in any lawsuit relating to compliance with such requests. In a lawsuit against an employee of the jurisdiction, the United States shall be substituted in as the defendant, and remedies shall be limited to provisions for bringing tort claims against the federal government.

Cosponsors (15)

  • Charles Grassley (R-IA)
  • Joni Ernst (R-IA)
  • Ted Cruz (R-TX)
  • Jim Inhofe (R-OK)
  • Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
  • Mike Rounds (R-SD)
  • Shelley Capito (R-WV)
  • Marco Rubio (R-FL)
  • Mike Lee (R-UT)
  • Steve Daines (R-MT)
  • Josh Hawley (R-MO)
  • Mike Braun (R-IN)
  • Tom Cotton (R-AR)
  • James Lankford (R-OK)
  • John Boozman (R-AR)

Subjects

  • Border security and unlawful immigration
  • Citizenship and naturalization
  • Civil actions and liability
  • Crime victims
  • Criminal procedure and sentencing
  • Detention of persons
  • Economic development
  • Federal preemption
  • Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
  • Housing and community development funding
  • Immigration status and procedures
  • Infrastructure development
  • Intergovernmental relations
  • Law enforcement administration and funding
  • Law enforcement officers
  • Lawyers and legal services
  • Research administration and funding
  • State and local finance
  • State and local government operations
Read on Congress.gov

Sourced from Congress.gov (public domain).

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.