Congress·In Committee·H.R. 1915

House Bill Would Strip Funding From Sanctuary Cities, Label Sinaloa Cartel as Criminal Org

Stop the Cartels Act

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

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Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

The bill requires the government to focus more intelligence resources on drug cartels in Mexico and Central and South America. It officially labels nine specific groups, like the Sinaloa Cartel, as criminal organizations, which allows the U.S. to freeze their money and block their financial transactions.
From policy text
“The Secretary shall designate the following organizations as Special Transnational Criminal Organizations: (1) Sinaloa Cartel. (2) Jalisco New Generation Cartel. (3) Beltran-Leyva Organization. (4) Cartel del Noreste and Los Zetas. (5) Guerreros Unidos. (6) Gulf Cartel. (7) Juarez Cartel and La Linea. (8) La Familia Michoacana. (9) Los Rojos.”
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It stops certain types of financial aid to the Mexican government unless they agree to share more information with U.S. law enforcement. The goal is to force better cooperation between the two countries to stop drugs and human smuggling before they reach the border.
From policy text
“None of the amounts appropriated to the Department of State to combat the threats of drug trafficking, transnational organized crime, and money laundering or appropriated to the United States Agency for International Development may be made available to the Mexican federal government or its subsidiaries until the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that Mexico has removed all barriers to bilateral cooperation”
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Any state or local government that refuses to follow federal immigration laws or help with deportations would lose all federal financial assistance. This targets so-called sanctuary areas by cutting off their access to various government grants.
From policy text
“A State or unit of local government that is determined to be an ineligible jurisdiction may not receive any Federal financial assistance (as such term is defined in section 7501(a)(5) of title 31, United States Code) for the fiscal year following any fiscal year in which the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that the State or unit of local government is an ineligible jurisdiction”
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The policy makes it much harder to get asylum by raising the standards for proving a fear of persecution and banning people with felony records or past deportations from applying. It also allows the government to keep families together in detention centers for as long as their legal cases take, removing current time limits.
To speed up the legal process, the bill calls for hiring at least 500 new immigration judges and opening refugee centers in Mexico and Central America. This would allow people to apply for protection in their home regions instead of traveling to the U.S. border.
From policy text
“The Attorney General shall increase-- (1) the number of immigration judges by not fewer than an additional 500 judges, as compared to the number of immigration judges as of the date of the enactment of this Act; and (2) the corresponding number of support staff, as necessary.”
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It doubles the money for state grants that treat substance abuse to nearly $4 billion per year. However, it pays for this by shutting down several other federal mental health and drug prevention programs, including those that help schools and community clinics.
From policy text
“striking `` $1,908,079,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027'' and inserting ``$3,961,600,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029''.”
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ImmigrationCriminal JusticeHealthcareNational Security Foreign Policy

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

State Impacts

StateScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

3 milestones3 actions

Mar 6, 2025House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.

Mar 6, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, Oversight and Government Reform, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Mar 6, 2025

Introduced in House

Related News

2 articles

Breitbart News·8 months ago

Exclusive — Rep. Warren Davidson Unveils 'NARCO Act' to Combat Cartels, International Crime

Rep. Warren Davidson discussed his new NARCO Act, noting it follows the 'spirit' of his previous 'Stop the Cartels Act.' The legislation aims to treat cartels as enemies of the U.S., focusing on intelligence collection, sanctions, and dismantling international criminal organizations.

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NewsNation·about 3 years ago

Ohio congressman on push to stop Mexican drug cartels | Morning in America

In an interview on 'Morning in America,' Rep. Warren Davidson explains the 'Stop the Cartels Act,' which seeks to reframe the border debate by focusing on designating cartels as national enemies, increasing intelligence gathering, and using sanctions to disrupt their financial operations.