District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act of 2025
District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Summary of HR 2056: District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act of 2025 **What the bill does:** This bill would require Washington, D.C. to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement by prohibiting the District from blocking its agencies from sharing immigration status information with federal authorities or ignoring Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requests. Specifically, D.C. would be required to comply with DHS "detainers"—formal requests to hold individuals in local custody for up to 48 hours after they would normally be released, allowing federal immigration officials time to take them into custody. **Who it affects:** The bill primarily affects D.C. residents, immigrants, and local law enforcement agencies in the District.
It also impacts the relationship between local and federal governments regarding immigration enforcement. The bill includes exceptions for witnesses and crime victims, who would have some protections against automatic cooperation with immigration authorities. **Current status:** The bill passed the House and is currently in the Senate. This legislation reflects a broader debate between the federal government and some cities/states about the extent to which local authorities should participate in federal immigration enforcement. Supporters argue it ensures public safety and federal law compliance, while critics contend it interferes with local autonomy and may discourage immigrant communities from reporting crimes to local police.
CRS Official Summary
District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance ActThis bill prohibits the District of Columbia (DC) from limiting its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement activities, except for certain instances involving witnesses and victims of crime. Specifically, the bill bars DC from adopting a law, policy, or practice prohibiting DC governmental entities from sending, receiving, maintaining, or exchanging information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of any individual with a federal, state, or local government entity.Further, DC may not adopt a law, policy, or practice of not complying with lawful requests from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to comply with a detainer for, or notify about the release of, an individual from custody. (A detainer is a formal request from DHS that a state or locality hold an individual in custody for up to 48 hours after the individual would otherwise be released so that DHS may facilitate the individual's removal.)The bill provides exceptions allowing DC to adopt policies of not sharing information or complying with a detainer request regarding an individual who comes forward as a victim or a witness of a crime.
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.