New Act Authorizes Private Memorial on Federal Land Honoring Victims of Crimes by Undocumented Individuals

The “American Border Story Memorial Act” is a piece of legislation focused purely on real estate and fundraising rules. It grants permission to a private organization called The American Border Story (TABS) to establish a memorial on federal land in Washington, D.C.

The Land Use Permit: What This Bill Actually Does

This bill is essentially a procedural green light. It authorizes TABS to build a memorial honoring U.S. citizens and legal residents who were killed in crimes committed by individuals unlawfully present in the United States. If you’re thinking about your tax dollars, here’s the crucial detail: No federal funds can be used for any expenses related to establishing this memorial (SEC. 2. Funding Restrictions). This means construction, design, and maintenance must be covered entirely by private donations raised by TABS.

For the average person, this is about how land is used in D.C. The authorization requires the memorial to follow the established rules for commemorative works (chapter 89 of title 40, United States Code). These are the rules that govern everything from the design review process to maintenance funding for memorials in the nation’s capital. Interestingly, the bill explicitly states that it grants this authorization even though the project doesn't meet one specific standard (section 8903(c) of that title)—a small procedural carve-out that suggests the memorial might deviate slightly from the usual bureaucratic or aesthetic standards for D.C. monuments.

Handling the Leftover Cash

Since this is a privately funded project on public land, the bill sets clear rules for what happens to any leftover money. TABS is required to set aside a fund for long-term maintenance, as is standard for D.C. memorials. If there’s any money remaining after the memorial is built and the maintenance fund is secured, TABS must send that balance to the Secretary of the Interior. Those funds would then be deposited into a specific account related to the upkeep of other federal commemorative works (SEC. 2. Handling of Extra Funds).

If TABS’s authority to build the memorial expires before it’s completed (which happens after a certain period under existing law), any leftover private funds must be sent to the National Park Foundation. This ensures that all private donations intended for a commemorative work are eventually directed back into the federal system for related purposes, rather than being kept by the private organization. Essentially, this bill provides the necessary paperwork and financial guardrails for a specific, privately-funded memorial to move forward on public property.