Protect America Act

This bill would require states and local governments to certify that they do not have policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement in order to receive certain grants from the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation. Federally funded jails would have to tell immigration authorities within 24 hours when they hold a noncitizen, and people injured by serious violent crimes committed by removable immigrants could sue jurisdictions with such policies. Student visas would be denied for schools located in these jurisdictions. The bill would also set minimum prison terms for illegal entry and reentry, raise penalties for assaulting federal officers, make using loud noise devices to interfere with federal officers a crime, and remove tax-exempt charity status from groups that promote or support criminal violence.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Eric Schmitt Republican sponsor
• 1 cosponsors