POLISCOPE
Back to bills
Part ofImmigration →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.
HR9473FEDERALFederal Billfiled
High Impact

Sanctuary City Accountability Act (H.R. 9473)

Original title: Sanctuary City Accountability Act

Record date · September 6, 2024

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

What This Bill Would Do

This bill allows U.S. citizens to sue local governments that have 'sanctuary' policies if they or their family members are victims of a crime committed by an undocumented immigrant in that jurisdiction. It creates a new in federal court for and .

Why it matters

The bill shifts legal liability to local governments for crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, potentially forcing cities and states to change policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities to avoid costly civil lawsuits.

Background
  • Mr. Issa is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. context
  • The U.S. Government Publishing Office is the agency responsible for producing and distributing official federal documents. context

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

U.S. nationals

They are granted the legal standing to initiate civil lawsuits against local governments under specific circumstances.

Directly affected

Sanctuary jurisdictions

They face potential civil liability and litigation costs for policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Indirectly affected

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

The agency's ability to access incarcerated individuals and receive information from local jurisdictions may be impacted by changes in local policy.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sue my city if I am a victim of a crime by an undocumented immigrant?
Under this bill, if your city is classified as a 'sanctuary jurisdiction' and you are a U.S. national, you could bring a civil action in federal court for damages or .
What makes a city a 'sanctuary jurisdiction' under this bill?
A jurisdiction is defined as such if it has policies that obstruct immigration enforcement, such as refusing to comply with s, denying ICE access to interview incarcerated individuals, or limiting information sharing with federal immigration officers.
Are local governments always liable if they have sanctuary policies?
No. The bill includes a limitation on liability, stating that a unit of local government cannot be held liable for enforcing or implementing laws or policies that are mandated by the state in which they are located.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Privatization of Immigration Enforcement

The bill represents a shift from federal-only immigration enforcement to a model that incentivizes private citizens to act as enforcers through civil litigation against local governments.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Connected Entities

Mr. Issa, September 6, 2024, district court of the United States and 6 more
PersonMr. Issa“Introducer of the bill”Map →
dateSeptember 6, 2024“Date the bill was introduced”Map →
locationdistrict court of the United States“Court where lawsuits can be filed”Map →
OrganizationHouse of Representatives“Legislative body where the bill was introduced”Map →
bill number9473“Bill identifier”Map →
OrganizationCommittee on the Judiciary“Committee to which the bill was referred”Map →
bill number8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.“Immigration and Nationality Act”Map →
OrganizationU.S. Government Publishing Office“Source of the document”Map →
OrganizationU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement“Federal agency involved in immigration enforcement”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.congress.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy95
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment20
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz60
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record