D.C. Compliance Act Mandates Full Cooperation with Federal Immigration Enforcement, Overriding Local Sanctuary Policies

This legislation, dubbed the District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act, is direct and clear: it completely bans the District of Columbia from having any law or practice that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Essentially, it wipes out D.C.’s local ability to act as a “sanctuary jurisdiction.” The bill mandates that D.C. government employees and agencies must share information about a person’s citizenship or immigration status with any federal, state, or local entity that asks. More critically, D.C. must comply with all proper requests from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the Immigration and Nationality Act, meaning they must honor requests to hold individuals longer (known as detainers) or notify DHS before someone is released from local custody. This isn’t about suggesting cooperation; it’s about making it mandatory.

Local Autonomy on the Chopping Block

For the District of Columbia government itself, this bill is a major policy shift. It strips away the local government’s ability to set its own priorities regarding immigration enforcement, which is a significant loss of local control. Currently, D.C. has policies intended to build trust between immigrant communities and local police. This bill forces D.C. law enforcement to act as an arm of federal immigration enforcement, a role many local police departments resist because it can make residents less likely to report crimes or cooperate with investigations. The bill is low on vagueness, which means the requirements are clear—D.C. must comply, period.

The Chilling Effect on Community Trust

When we talk about real-world impact, this hits D.C.’s immigrant residents the hardest. If you are an immigrant in D.C., knowing that local police are required to share your status with federal authorities—and potentially hold you for deportation proceedings—changes everything. It creates a massive chilling effect. Imagine being the victim of a car theft or domestic violence. Even though the bill includes a narrow exception for victims or witnesses who are actively cooperating with law enforcement, the fear that reporting a crime could lead to your own detention or deportation is a powerful deterrent. This fear doesn't just affect the individual; it makes the entire community less safe because criminals know that certain victims won't call the police.

Mandatory Detainers and Daily Life

The requirement to comply with DHS detainer requests is particularly impactful. A detainer is basically a request for local police to hold someone for an extra 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, giving federal agents time to pick them up. These requests are based on civil immigration warrants, not criminal warrants. For a D.C. resident who might be arrested for a minor violation—say, a traffic offense or a small misdemeanor—they could find themselves held not just for the local charge, but then immediately transferred into federal custody for deportation proceedings simply because their immigration status was shared. This turns minor local infractions into major life-altering events and places the burden of housing these individuals on local D.C. jails, potentially straining local resources.