U.S. Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) has introduced the Recouping Funds from Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025; legislation aimed at withholding federal funding from local governments that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
The bill targets so-called “sanctuary cities,” jurisdictions that limit communication with federal authorities or decline to honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers for individuals in the country illegally. Under the proposed law, these jurisdictions could be forced to return any unobligated federal funds received during their non-compliance. The legislation applies retroactively for five years, with a grace period for cities to change their policies.
“By actively harboring and protecting criminal illegal aliens, sanctuary cities create unnecessarily dangerous circumstances for both law enforcement and law-abiding citizens,” Rep. Van Duyne said. “From my time as Mayor of Irving, I know how effective local and federal coordination can be. Through cooperation with ICE, we removed thousands of criminal aliens and made Irving one of the safest cities in America.”
Rep. Van Duyne emphasized that the bill is a response to what she describes as systemic subversion of immigration laws by sanctuary jurisdictions.
“This is commonsense reform,” she said, citing rising threats to ICE officers and local communities. “We’re seeing cities protect violent criminals at the expense of innocent lives.”
Critics of similar legislation have long argued that sanctuary policies foster trust between immigrant communities and local police, improving public safety by encouraging cooperation in reporting crimes. Civil liberties advocates also caution against conflating immigration status with criminality.
Still, Van Duyne and supporters maintain the bill is focused on individuals with serious criminal records who face deportation orders.
“This isn’t about immigration policy broadly,” she said. “It’s about ensuring violent criminal aliens are not shielded from justice.”
The bill follows previous immigration-related efforts by Van Duyne, including the No Congressional Funds for Sanctuary Cities Act and the Voter Eligibility Verification Act, which seeks to bolster states’ ability to verify voter citizenship.
The Recouping Funds from Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025 now awaits committee consideration.
