Bill Summary
The "Sanctuary Jurisdiction Event Security Enhancement Act" aims to establish eligibility requirements for federal funding related to security assessments for major events in jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, known as sanctuary jurisdictions.
Key provisions include:
1. **Eligibility and Ineligibility**: Sanctuary jurisdictions will be ineligible to receive federal funds from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) support if they do not comply with federal immigration laws. This includes not sharing information about an individual's immigration status or failing to detain individuals as requested by DHS.
2. **Funding Reallocation**: Funds that would have been allocated for SEAR support in ineligible jurisdictions will be redirected to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for immigration enforcement activities, with an emphasis on addressing public safety threats.
3. **Reporting Requirements**: The Secretary of Homeland Security is mandated to submit semiannual reports to Congress detailing the financial impacts of the legislation and its effectiveness in enhancing event security and immigration enforcement.
Overall, this legislation seeks to enhance national security at major events by linking federal funding to compliance with immigration laws in sanctuary jurisdictions.
Possible Impacts
The "Sanctuary Jurisdiction Event Security Enhancement Act" could affect people in various ways. Here are three examples:
1. **Increased Law Enforcement Presence**: The reallocation of federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could lead to increased immigration enforcement activities in those areas. This may result in heightened law enforcement presence and operations, affecting local communities, particularly immigrant populations, who may feel less safe or more targeted due to increased scrutiny and potential deportations.
2. **Impact on Public Events**: Sanctuary jurisdictions that lose access to federal funding for Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) support may face challenges in ensuring the safety and security of large public events. Without federal resources for risk assessments, explosive detection teams, and other security measures, there could be increased vulnerabilities at major events, which may lead to public safety concerns and potentially discourage event organizers from holding events in those jurisdictions.
3. **Community Relations and Tensions**: The legislation could exacerbate tensions between local governments and federal authorities, as sanctuary jurisdictions may resist compliance with federal immigration laws. This conflict can strain relationships within communities, potentially leading to divisiveness, fear among immigrant populations, and protests or civil disobedience against perceived overreach by the federal government regarding local governance and public safety priorities.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3921 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3921
To establish eligibility requirements for the use of Federal funds for
Special Event Assessment Rating support in sanctuary jurisdictions and
to reallocate such funds to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
for immigration enforcement efforts.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 25, 2026
Mr. Scott of Florida introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish eligibility requirements for the use of Federal funds for
Special Event Assessment Rating support in sanctuary jurisdictions and
to reallocate such funds to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
for immigration enforcement efforts.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Sanctuary Jurisdiction Event
Security Enhancement Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Special Event Assessment Rating program, which is
administered by the Department of Homeland Security, assesses
risks for major events to ensure public safety and national
security.
(2) Sanctuary jurisdictions, by limiting cooperation with
Federal immigration enforcement, may hinder intelligence
sharing and increase vulnerabilities at such events, including
threats from illegal aliens potentially involved in terrorism
or disruptions.
(3) Examples of such increased vulnerabilities include more
than 382 border encounters with individuals on terrorist watch
lists along United States borders between fiscal years 2021 and
2024, inclusive, and historical cases of foreign-born
terrorists illegally entering the United States plotting
attacks against our country.
(4) Conditioning SEAR support on compliance with
immigration laws--
(A) promotes the general welfare of the American
people;
(B) is unambiguous;
(C) directly relates to event security risks;
(D) complies with all relevant provisions in the
United States Constitution;
(E) does not coerce compliance by sanctuary
jurisdictions; and
(F) is consistent with the holding by the United
States Supreme Court in South Dakota v. Dole (483 U.S.
203 (1987)).
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Sanctuary jurisdiction.--The term ``sanctuary
jurisdiction'' means a State or a political subdivision of a
State that has in effect a statute, ordinance, policy, or
practice that prohibits or restricts--
(A) sending, receiving, maintaining, or exchanging
with any Federal, State, or local government entity
information regarding the citizenship or immigration
status (lawful or unlawful) of any individual; or
(B) complying with a request lawfully made by the
Department of Homeland Security under section 236 or
287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1226 and 1357) to detain an alien.
(2) SEAR support.--The term ``SEAR support'' means any
Federal funds, grants, or resources provided by the Department
of Homeland Security for Special Event Assessment Rating
activities, including risk assessments, explosive detection
teams, cyber support, or other security measures for
voluntarily submitted events.
SEC. 4. INELIGIBILITY OF SANCTUARY JURISDICTIONS FOR FEDERAL FUNDING
FOR SEAR SUPPORT.
(a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b) and notwithstanding any
other provision of law, sanctuary jurisdictions are ineligible to
receive Federal funds for SEAR support for events taking place in such
jurisdictions, including funding from--
(1) the Department of Homeland Security's Office of
Operations Coordination; or
(2) related grant programs, such as the Homeland Security
Grant Program.
(b) Notification and Certification Requirements.--The ineligibility
of a sanctuary jurisdiction to receive Federal funds described in
subsection (a) shall not take effect unless--
(1) 30 days has elapsed since the sanctuary jurisdiction
was notified by the Secretary of Homeland Security that it is a
sanctuary jurisdiction; and
(2) the sanctuary jurisdiction fails to certify to the
Secretary of Homeland Security that it is in full compliance
with the immigration laws (as defined in section 101(a)(17) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(17))),
including section 642 of the Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act of 1996 (division C of Public Law 104-208; 8
U.S.C. 1373).
SEC. 5. REALLOCATION.
(a) In General.--An amount equal to the reduction in expenditures
resulting from the ineligibility of certain sanctuary jurisdictions
under section 4 shall be reallocated to Enforcement and Removal
Operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
(b) Priority.--Of the amounts reallocated pursuant to subsection
(a)--
(1) priority shall be given to immigration enforcement
activities in response to public safety threats, including
arrests, detentions, and deportations of convicted criminal
noncitizens, gang members, and individuals on terrorist watch
lists; and
(2) at least 50 percent shall be expended for border-
related removals and enforcement operations.
SEC. 6. SEMIANNUAL REPORTS.
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit semiannual reports
to Congress detailing--
(1) the amount of funds that have been withheld pursuant to
section 4;
(2) the amount of funds that have been reallocated pursuant
to section 5;
(3) the impact such reallocations have had on enforcement
outcomes, including the number of arrests, detentions, and
deportations; and
(4) the impact of this Act on reducing risks from illegal
aliens at major events.
SEC. 7. SEVERABILITY.
If any provision of this Act, or the application of such provision
to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of this
section, and the application of such provision to other persons or
circumstances, shall not be affected.
<all>