Sanctuary City Accountability Act

The Sanctuary City Accountability Act would create a private federal right of action that allows US nationals to sue sanctuary jurisdictions (states or local governments that have policies perceived as obstructing immigration enforcement) in federal district court. A plaintiff could seek injunctive relief or compensatory damages if a noncitizen (an “alien”) located in the sanctuary jurisdiction commits a crime against the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s immediate family, either in that jurisdiction or in a place the alien later moves to. The bill defines “sanctuary jurisdiction” by listing specific practices that obstruct immigration enforcement, such as resisting ICE detainers, placing unreasonable conditions on detainer compliance, denying ICE access to interview incarcerated aliens, or otherwise hindering information exchange with federal immigration officers. The bill also limits liability for local governments for policies imposed by the state in which they are located, meaning the liability language principally targets sanctuary policies themselves rather than state-imposed requirements on localities. In short, the bill would deputize private individuals to sue sanctuary jurisdictions for damages or to obtain court orders, limited to crimes involving aliens who were in or relocated from sanctuary jurisdictions, with defined categories of sanctuary practices and a general immunity for local governments from liability for state-imposed policies.