S. 2060: No Community Development Block Grants for Sanctuary Cities Act

This bill is titled the No Community Development Block Grants for Sanctuary Cities Act. It seeks to amend the existing laws governing community development block grants, which are federal funds provided to local governments for various development projects, typically aimed at improving urban areas and aiding low-income populations.

Key Provisions of the Bill

• The bill defines a "sanctuary jurisdiction" as any state or local government that has laws, policies, or practices making it difficult or impossible for government officials to share or act on information about the citizenship or immigration status of individuals. This includes not complying with requests from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain or notify authorities regarding individuals based on their immigration status.
• However, a jurisdiction will not be classified as a sanctuary jurisdiction if it has a policy that protects individuals who come forward as victims or witnesses of crimes from having their immigration status reported.

Implications

If passed, this legislation would result in a significant shift in the allocation of federal funding for community development projects. Local governments that currently have policies seen as protecting undocumented immigrants from immigration enforcement could face financial consequences. The bill targets the relationship between local governance and federal immigration policy, potentially influencing how local jurisdictions enforce or set their immigration-related policies.

Enforcement and Compliance

Jurisdictions that receive community development block grants will need to ensure that they adhere to the stipulations of the bill to maintain their funding. If a jurisdiction is found to be a sanctuary jurisdiction under the definitions provided, it may lose access to these federal funds, which could impact various community development projects aimed at housing, infrastructure, and services for low-income populations.

Exceptions and Protections

The legislation includes protections for localities that do not report the immigration status of individuals who are victims or witnesses to crimes, seeking to balance the enforcement of immigration laws with local public safety concerns.

Conclusion of Provisions

The overall goal of the bill is to limit federal funding to local governments based on their immigration policies, requiring them to conform to federal immigration enforcement requests in order to qualify for community development grants.

Relevant Companies

None found.