PACT Act

Protecting American Citizens Together Act or the PACT Act

This bill amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to make a sanctuary city ineligible to receive, for at least one year, any funds pursuant to:

• the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program,
• the Cops' Program,
• the Urban Area Security Initiative,
• the State Homeland Security Grant Program,
• the Port Security Grant Program,
• the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, or
• any other non-disaster preparedness grant program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A sanctuary city shall be eligible to receive such funds after the Attorney General certifies that it is no longer a sanctuary city.

The Attorney General shall prioritize a request from the Secretary of Homeland Security to transfer an alien who is without lawful status in the United States and in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody before a request from a state or state subdivision to transfer the covered alien to its custody.