Sen Thom Tillis introduces bill allowing victims to sue sanctuary jurisdictions for migrant crimes

S 185, or the "Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025" was introduced to the Senate by Tillis on January 23 alongside 10 other Republicans in the chamber.

"For far too long, we have watched local jurisdictions in North Carolina and across the country ignore the lawful notification and detainer requests made by ICE agents and instead release dangerous criminals back into their communities, putting innocent lives at risk," Tillis said in a statement. "I am committed to working with President Trump to end illegal immigration and fight sanctuary cities that prioritize reckless, lawless policies over public safety. It is clear that liberal politicians want to put political ideology ahead of the safety of their constituents. It is time for Congress to step in and hold sanctuary cities accountable."

The bill states that a victim or the spouse or family of a person who had been raped, murdered, or been the victim of any felony "for which an alien has been arrested, convicted, or sentenced to a term of imprisonment of at least 1 year" may bring an "action for compensatory damages" against a sanctuary state or city in federal or state court in the jurisdiction failed to "comply with a detainer for such alien" or notify the Department of Homeland Security about the release of the migrant.

The bill sets a 10-year statute of limitations from either when the crime occurred or when a person died as a result of the crime. The bill will also withhold federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions if they "continue to refuse to enforce federal immigration law and put American lives at risk," stated a press release from Rep Chuck Edwards, who introduced a version of the bill into the House.

"Sanctuary cities have shielded many of the nearly 650,000 criminal illegal immigrants in the United States from facing the consequences for their violent crimes against innocent Americans for too many years. Sanctuary cities cannot continue to jeopardize Americans’ safety without being held accountable for their role in the illegal immigrant crime crisis we are facing today. The Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act that I’m re-introducing will finally hold these communities responsible when their harmful, illegal policies result in a crime against an American citizen, and will allow the victim to take legal action against counties, cities, or towns for the dangerous policies that directly led to their harm," said Edwards.