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To provide a civil remedy for individuals harmed by sanctuary jurisdiction policies, and for other purposes.
2/7/2025, 9:02 AM
Summary of Bill HR 611
The bill proposes to provide a civil remedy for individuals who have been harmed by sanctuary jurisdiction policies. This means that individuals who have been victims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants in sanctuary cities may be able to seek compensation through civil lawsuits.
The bill also includes provisions to withhold certain federal grants from sanctuary jurisdictions that do not comply with federal immigration enforcement efforts. This is intended to incentivize these jurisdictions to cooperate with federal authorities in enforcing immigration laws. Overall, the goal of Bill 119 HR 611 is to hold sanctuary jurisdictions accountable for their policies and to provide recourse for individuals who have been negatively impacted by these policies. It seeks to address the complex issue of immigration enforcement and the role of local governments in upholding federal laws.
Congressional Summary of HR 611
Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025
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.
