WASHINGTON — A local law preventing D.C. police from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on deportations could be overturned as congressional Republicans seek to rein in sanctuary city policies nationwide.
The House passed the District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act on Thursday, seeking to end sanctuary policies that block D.C. police from assisting ICE with arrests and bans. The bill would also overturn local laws prohibiting city officials from releasing detained individuals to ICE or allowing ICE to interview a suspect in D.C. custody without a judicial order.
“My bill requires the District of Columbia to comply with federal immigration law. What’s wrong with that?” Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., who led the bill, said in a floor speech on Wednesday. “We shouldn’t have to bring this to the floor. We shouldn’t have to explain these things. But we are going to ... require that our nation’s capital comply with our nation’s federal law.”
The bill was introduced in early March, but its passage comes as immigration law enforcement and sanctuary city policies have become a political flashpoint in recent days.
Protests and riots broke out in Los Angeles last weekend after ICE agents carried out raids in several locations across the city, prompting outrage from city residents. Although protests began peacefully, several turned violent after local law enforcement was called in to help quell the crowds.
The protests have since spread across the country, and Republicans have renewed their calls to crack down on sanctuary city policies by urging stricter enforcement of immigration policies.
“It’s sad that Gov. Newsom and Mayor Bass decided it was more important to refuse cooperation with ICE and posture against President Trump than make LA safe,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, told the Deseret News in a statement. “I hope other blue states and cities avoid this mess by complying with federal immigration law and not tolerating any rioting or violence.”
Lee has been at the forefront of reining in the D.C. government, hoping to reassert congressional authority over the nation’s capital. Lee has consistently introduced legislation that would end the city’s autonomy and has also promoted the BOWSER Act — ironically named after the city’s mayor — to reclaim authority over the city’s public safety.
“I’m glad that the House of Representatives is considering the District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act, so that our nation’s capital can set a better example,” Lee said. “The D.C. Council has proven itself incapable of keeping the city safe, and my BOWSER Act handing the reins back to Congress is our best bet to restore dignity and order to Washington.”
Republicans have pushed for years to claw back D.C.’s autonomy by overturning the Home Rule Act.
Despite not being a state, Washington is permitted to operate as an independent city government under the D.C. Home Rule Act. However, local laws are still subject to congressional approval before they can take effect, occasionally setting up showdowns between Congress and local lawmakers.
Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., has been a leading voice on that issue in the House, successfully passing a bill in 2022 that would repeal the amended criminal code for the district that he argued was too soft on crime. That bill passed both chambers of Congress despite Democratic control of the Senate and was eventually signed by former President Joe Biden.
President Donald Trump has expressed support for reining in D.C.’s local control, paving the way for Republicans to use their GOP trifecta in Washington to do so.
“I remain committed to reforming the unconstitutional and failed experiment of D.C. Home Rule,” Clyde told the Deseret News in a statement. “Our nation’s capital city is still in dire need of strong leadership and commonsense policies. Congress must continue using its constitutional authority over Washington’s affairs to ensure America’s capital city is a safe and prosperous place for years to come.”
The bill now heads to the Senate, where it will require at least seven Democrats to buck party lines to support the measure. However, Democrats have supported bills to rein in the D.C. government before — and 11 Democrats in the House voted in favor of the bill on Thursday.