Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced a pair of bills on Wednesday designed to force local governments to choose between their “sanctuary” status and federal security funding. The proposed legislation, titled the Unifying American Security Interests (UASI) Act and the Sanctuary Jurisdiction Event Security Enhancement Act, seeks to mandate cooperation with federal immigration authorities as a prerequisite for receiving specific Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grants.
The UASI Act targets Urban Area Security Initiative grants, which are typically used to protect high-density areas from threats. Under Scott’s proposal, 30% of these funds would be locked into five national priority areas: protecting soft targets, supporting task forces, bolstering cybersecurity, securing elections, and managing border crisis responses.
Crucially, the bill makes eligibility for these grants contingent on local law enforcement honoring ICE detainers and participating in joint training and information-sharing.
The second bill, the Sanctuary Jurisdiction Event Security Enhancement Act, focuses on funding for large-scale public events. It would prohibit jurisdictions from receiving Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) funds unless they certify full compliance with federal immigration laws.
Any money withheld from non-compliant cities would be automatically rerouted to ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.
In a statement following the introduction, Senator Scott criticized current local policies that shield undocumented individuals.
“Democrat politicians are putting illegal aliens first and the American people last, harboring criminals in sanctuary cities where they refuse to enforce our laws,” Scott said. “President Trump is doing his part by securing the border, now Congress must pass my bills to hold sanctuary cities and states accountable by withholding federal tax dollars until they cooperate with federal law enforcement.”
The legislation also includes an oversight component, requiring the DHS to provide Congress with a report every six months detailing which funds were withheld and how those reallocations impacted security risks.
The move follows Scott’s recent appearance before the Budget Committee, where he argued that federal tax dollars should not subsidize jurisdictions that obstruct federal immigration enforcement.
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