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Congress·In Committee·26 days ago

Sen. Cotton's Bill Would Strip Highway Funds From States That Refuse to Aid Immigration Enforcement

Also known as: Enforce Immigration or Lose Transportation Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President

Impact Analysis

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

State Impacts

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

Key Points

  • This bill, introduced by Mr. Cotton, would take away federal money for roads and bridges from states that do not help enforce federal immigration laws. States would lose 5% of their highway funding the first year they do not follow the rules and 10% every year after that.
  • To keep their full funding, states would be required to stop giving driver's licenses or ID cards to people who cannot prove they are in the country legally. They would also have to share information about people's immigration status with the Department of Homeland Security when asked.
  • The policy also requires state and local officials to cooperate with federal immigration officers. This includes honoring 'detainers,' which are requests to hold someone in jail longer so they can be picked up by immigration authorities for deportation.
  • If this bill becomes law, the new rules would start on October 1, 2026. Every year, states would have to submit proof and data to the federal government showing they are following these immigration policies to receive their full share of transportation money.
ImmigrationInfrastructure Transportation

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Feb 4, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Feb 4, 2026

Introduced in Senate

Related News

3 articles
Land Line Media·about 1 month ago

Feds abandon bid to tie transportation money to immigration

The federal government dropped its appeal of a court ruling that blocked tying transportation funds to immigration enforcement. The move follows a judge's finding that the DOT lacked statutory authority, prompting lawmakers like Sen. Cotton to seek legislative fixes to authorize such penalties.

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San Francisco Chronicle·about 2 months ago

Trump administration pulls $160M in highway funds from California over immigrant trucker feud

The Trump administration is withholding $160 million from California over its refusal to revoke commercial driver's licenses for immigrants. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy accused the state of 'illegally' issuing licenses, marking a escalation in the fight over sanctuary state policies.

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PBS·3 months ago

Duffy threatens to withhold millions in highway funds from New York over immigrant CDL system

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to withhold $73 million in highway funds from New York unless it revokes commercial licenses for undocumented immigrants. The move is part of a broader push to use transportation funding as leverage to force state cooperation with immigration laws.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Enforce Immigration or Lose Transportation Act

Bill NumberS 3773
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.