SB 3773, the “Enforce Immigration or Lose Transportation Act,” would condition a portion of federal highway funding on a state’s compliance with specified federal immigration enforcement policies. The bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to withhold 5 percent of certain highway apportionments in the first year a state is found noncompliant, increasing to 10 percent in later years, with withheld funds restored if the state later comes into compliance before the fiscal year ends.
The bill defines noncompliance to include state laws, policies, or practices that restrict information sharing with federal immigration authorities about citizenship or immigration status, issuance of driver’s licenses or identification cards without proof of lawful status, or refusal to cooperate with ICE detainers for people in state custody. It also requires annual state certifications, authorizes audits, and allows the Department of Transportation to issue implementing regulations and provide technical assistance.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend Title 23 of the U.S. Code by adding a new section tying federal highway funding to immigration-related state practices. It would affect state transportation funding under section 104(b) and could pressure states to change driver’s license eligibility rules, information-sharing limits, and detention cooperation policies to avoid losing federal highway dollars. The bill would also create a new federal compliance and audit framework administered by the Secretary of Transportation, with implications for state DMVs, law enforcement agencies, and state correctional systems.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal bipartisan or partisan sentiment can be measured from the record. Based on the bill text, the sponsor frames the measure as a transportation safety and national security policy, arguing that immigration compliance is tied to roadway safety and federal enforcement objectives. The absence of transcripts or votes means the broader legislative reception is not yet documented here.
Contention
The main points of contention are likely to be the bill’s use of federal highway funding as leverage over state immigration policy and its treatment of state driver’s license laws and sanctuary-style information-sharing restrictions. Supporters would likely view the measure as encouraging cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and standardizing vetting for licensed drivers, while opponents would likely argue it intrudes on state authority, coerces states through funding penalties, and could affect access to driver’s licenses for undocumented residents. The requirement to honor ICE detainers may also be controversial because it implicates local custody practices and civil liberties concerns.
Enacts the "facial identification and transparency in immigration enforcement act"; requires federal immigration enforcement agents to identify themselves as such when conducting enforcement activities.
Enacts the "facial identification and transparency in immigration enforcement act"; requires federal immigration enforcement agents to identify themselves as such when conducting enforcement activities.
Establishes alternative compliance standards for development of electric vehicle supply equipment and Make-Ready parking spaces based on charging capacity.