State Accountability for Federal Deployment Costs Act of 2025

This bill, the State Accountability for Federal Deployment Costs Act of 2025, would require States to reimburse the federal government for certain costs incurred when federal military forces are deployed in response to civil disturbances or security threats that arise because a State refuses to cooperate with lawful federal immigration enforcement. The payment would cover specific military costs (temporary duty, per diem, housing, meals, and transportation) and would be assessed via an invoice sent to the State’s governor. If a State fails to pay within 180 days, the President could offset the debt by rescinding discretionary federal grants awarded to that State. The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Attorney General, would publicly determine whether the State’s actions or inactions hindered federal immigration operations. The bill frames immigration enforcement as a federal prerogative and argues that noncooperation can trigger civil unrest requiring federal deployment, thereby shifting deployment costs onto the federal government that should be reimbursed by the responsible State or locality. It creates a formal process for determining noncooperation and explicit mechanisms for payment and offset.