I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 515 
To provide a civil remedy for individuals harmed by sanctuary jurisdiction 
policies, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2021 
Mr. BUDD (for himself, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. NORMAN, Mr. ALLEN, 
Mr. BROOKS, Mrs. GREENE
of Georgia, Mr. DESJARLAIS, Mr. 
CAWTHORN, Mr. BABIN, and Mr. WRIGHT) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition 
to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide a civil remedy for individuals harmed by 
sanctuary jurisdiction policies, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Justice for Victims 
of Sanctuary Cities Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) SANCTUARY JURISDICTION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the term ‘‘sanctuary juris-
diction’’ means any State or political subdivi-
sion of a State that has in effect a statute, ordi-
nance, policy, or practice that prohibits or re-
stricts any government entity or official from— 
(i) sending, receiving, maintaining, or 
exchanging with any Federal, State, or 
local government entity information re-
garding the citizenship or immigration sta-
tus of any alien; or 
(ii) complying with a request lawfully 
made by the Department of Homeland Se-
curity under section 236 or 287 of the Im-
migration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1226 and 1357) to comply with a detainer 
for, or notify about the release of, an alien. 
(B) EXCEPTION.—A State or political sub-
division of a State shall not be deemed a sanc-
tuary jurisdiction based solely on having a pol-
icy whereby its officials will not share informa-
tion regarding, or comply with a request made 
by the Department of Homeland Security under 
section 236 or 287 of the Immigration and Na-
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tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1226 and 1357) to com-
ply with a detainer regarding, an alien who 
comes forward as a victim or a witness to a 
criminal offense. 
(2) SANCTUARY POLICY.—The term ‘‘sanctuary 
policy’’ means a statute, ordinance, policy, or prac-
tice referred to in paragraph (1)(A). 
(3) SANCTUARY-RELATED CIVIL ACTION.—The 
term ‘‘sanctuary-related civil action’’ means a civil 
action brought against a sanctuary jurisdiction by 
an individual (or the estate, survivors, or heirs of an 
individual) who— 
(A) is injured or harmed by an alien who 
benefitted from a sanctuary policy of the sanc-
tuary jurisdiction; and 
(B) would not have been so injured or 
harmed but for the alien receiving the benefit of 
such sanctuary policy. 
SEC. 3. CIVIL ACTION FOR HARM BY AN ALIEN THAT BENE-
FITTED FROM A SANCTUARY POLICY. 
(a) PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.— 
(1) CAUSE OF ACTION.—Any individual, or a 
spouse, parent, or child of such individual (if the in-
dividual is deceased or permanently incapacitated), 
who is the victim of a murder, rape, or any felony 
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(as defined by the State) for which an alien (as de-
fined in section 101(a)(3) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(3))) has been ar-
rested, convicted, or sentenced to a term of impris-
onment of at least 1 year, may bring an action for 
compensatory damages against a State or a political 
subdivision of a State in the appropriate Federal or 
State court if the State or political subdivision failed 
to comply with— 
(A) a request with respect to an alien that 
was lawfully made by the Department of Home-
land Security under section 236 or 287 of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1226 and 1357); and 
(B) a detainer for, or notify about the re-
lease of, the alien. 
(2) STATUTE
OF
LIMITATIONS.—An action 
brought under this subsection may not be brought 
later than 10 years after the occurrence of the 
crime, or death of a person as a result of such 
crime, whichever occurs later. 
(3) ATTORNEY’S FEE AND OTHER COSTS.—In 
any action or proceeding under this subsection the 
court shall allow a prevailing plaintiff a reasonable 
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attorney’s fee as part of the costs, and include ex-
pert fees as part of the attorney’s fee. 
(b) WAIVER OF IMMUNITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Any State or political sub-
division of a State that accepts a grant described in 
paragraph (2) from the Federal Government shall 
agree, as a condition of receiving such grant, to 
waive any immunity of such State or political sub-
division relating to a sanctuary-related civil action. 
(2) GRANTS DESCRIBED.—The grants described 
in this paragraph are— 
(A) a grant for public works and economic 
development under section 201(a) of the Public 
Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 
(42 U.S.C. 3141(a)); 
(B) a grant for planning and administra-
tive expenses under section 203(a) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 3143(a)); 
(C) a supplemental grant under section 
205(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 3145(b)); 
(D) a grant for training, research, and 
technical assistance under section 207(a) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 3147(a)); and 
(E) except as provided in paragraph (3), a 
community development block grant made pur-
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