Save SBA from Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025
The Save SBA from Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025 would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to relocate its “covered offices” that are located in sanctuary jurisdictions to non-sanctuary jurisdictions. A covered office is a regional, district, or local SBA office (excluding the headquarters and any other component fully funded by Congressional appropriations). The Administrator must determine whether a covered office sits in a sanctuary jurisdiction and publicly post that determination before relocating. Once a determination is made, relocation must occur within 120 days to a non-sanctuary location. If the 120-day deadline passes without relocation, the head of the affected office must explain why, and the office must cease operations during the gap between the deadline and completion of relocation, with staff reassigned to other non-sanctuary SBA offices in the same state or other non-sanctuary offices. The bill also prohibits establishing any new SBA covered office in sanctuary jurisdictions. Sanctuary jurisdictions are defined by local laws or practices that (a) prohibit or restrict sharing citizenship/immigration-status information with federal, state, or local entities, or (b) refuse to comply with DHS detainer requests or notifications under specified provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The bill has passed the House (as of June 5, 2025) and is referred to the Senate for consideration. If enacted, it would meaningfully reduce the SBA’s footprint in sanctuary jurisdictions and shift SBA services to non-sanctuary areas.
Key Points
- 1Relocation mandate: Any SBA covered office located in a sanctuary jurisdiction must be moved to a non-sanctuary jurisdiction.
- 2Public determination: The Administrator must determine and publicly publish whether a covered office is in a sanctuary jurisdiction before relocation.
- 3120-day deadline: Relocation must be completed no later than 120 days after the sanctuary determination is publicly posted.
- 4Consequences of noncompliance: If relocation is not completed in 120 days, the office’s head must provide a written explanation within 5 days after the deadline, the office must cease operations during the period after the deadline until relocation is completed, and staff must be reassigned to other non-sanctuary SBA offices (preferably in the same state, then elsewhere).
- 5Head removal: The Administrator must remove the head of the covered office if the explanation for noncompliance is deemed inadequate.
- 6New office limitation: The Administrator may not establish any new SBA covered office in a sanctuary jurisdiction.
- 7Definitions:
- 8- Sanctuary jurisdiction: A political subdivision that prohibits or restricts information sharing about citizenship/immigration status with government entities or fails to comply with DHS detainer requests/notifications under INA provisions (8 U.S.C. 1226 and 1357).
- 9- Covered office: A regional, district, or local SBA office (excluding SBA headquarters and any component fully funded by Congress).
- 10- Administration/Administrator: The SBA and its Administrator.