H.R. 661House118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Sarah’s Law

Introduced January 31, 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 2:48 AM UTC

Sarah’s Law would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take custody of non‑citizens who have been charged, arrested, or convicted of crimes that caused a death or serious bodily injury. It also obligates the Department of Homeland Security to notify victims or their families about the alien’s identity, immigration status, custody status, and removal efforts, and to issue a detainer to ensure the alien is detained.

Key Provisions

  • Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make aliens who are charged with, arrested for, or convicted of offenses resulting in death or serious bodily injury inadmissible or deportable and subject to mandatory detention.
  • Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to obtain victim information from law‑enforcement agencies and provide victims or their closest relatives with timely updates on the alien’s name, aliases, birth date, nationality, immigration status, criminal history, custody status, and any government actions to remove the alien.
  • Mandates that DHS issue a detainer for such aliens and, if they are not already in custody, take them into custody promptly.
  • Includes a savings provision stating that the Act does not limit any existing victim‑rights statutes.

Legislative Activity

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5 earlier actions
HouseCalendars Latest Action

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 366.

April 5, 2024

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 31, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

January 31, 2023

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

March 21, 2024

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 14 - 9.

March 21, 2024

HouseCommittee

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 118-442.

April 5, 2024

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 366.

April 5, 2024

Bill Text

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Reported in HouseIssued April 5, 2024

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Union Calendar No. 366

118th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 661

[Report No. 118–442]

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 31, 2023

Mr. Feenstra (for himself, Mr. Buck, Mr. Donalds, Ms. Salazar, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mrs. Hinson, Mr. Babin, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Posey, Mrs. Lesko, Mr. Obernolte, Mr. Bost, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Norman, Mr. Finstad, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Johnson of Louisiana, Mr. Burchett, Mr. Ogles, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Scott Franklin of Florida, Mr. Cline, Mr. Rouzer, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Garbarino, Mr. DesJarlais, Mr. Fry, Mr. Mike Garcia of California, Mr. Walberg, and Mr. Steube) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

April 5, 2024

Additional sponsors: Mr. Nunn of Iowa, Mr. Loudermilk, Mr. Timmons, Mr. Grothman, Mr. Ciscomani, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Gooden of Texas, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, Mr. Estes, Mr. Dunn of Florida, Mr. Williams of Texas, Mr. Carter of Texas, Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas, Mr. Nehls, Mr. McClintock, Mr. Pfluger, Mrs. Houchin, Mr. Rosendale, and Mrs. Spartz

April 5, 2024

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic

For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 31, 2023

A BILL

To require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take into custody certain aliens who have been charged in the United States with a crime that resulted in the death or serious bodily injury of another person, and for other purposes.


1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as Sarah’s Law.

2.

Mandatory detention of certain aliens charged with a crime resulting in death or serious bodily injury

Section 236(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1226(c)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (1)—

(A)

in subparagraph (C)—

(i)

by striking sentence and inserting sentenced; and

(ii)

by striking or;

(B)

in subparagraph (D), by striking the comma at the end and inserting , or; and

(C)

by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:

(E)
(i)
(I)

is inadmissible under paragraph (6)(A), (6)(C), or (7) of section 212(a),

(II)

is deportable under section 237(a)(1)(B) as an alien whose nonimmigrant visa (or other documentation authorizing admission into the United States as a nonimmigrant) has been revoked under section 221(i), or

(III)

is deportable under section 237(a)(1)(C)(i), and

(ii)

is charged with, is arrested for, is convicted of, admits having committed, or admits committing acts which constitute the essential elements of any offense that resulted in the death or serious bodily injury (as defined in section 1365(h)(3) of title 18, United States Code) of another person,

; and

(2)

by adding at the end the following:

(3)

Notification requirement

Upon encountering or gaining knowledge of an alien described in paragraph (1), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall—

(A)

obtain information from law enforcement agencies and from other available sources regarding the identity of any victims of the crimes for which such alien was charged, arrested, or convicted; and

(B)

provide the victim or, if the victim is deceased, a parent, guardian, spouse, or closest living relative of such victim, with information, on a timely and ongoing basis, including—

(i)

the alien’s full name, aliases, date of birth, and country of nationality;

(ii)

the alien’s immigration status and criminal history;

(iii)

the alien’s custody status and any changes related to the alien’s custody; and

(iv)

a description of any efforts by the United States Government to remove the alien from the United States.

(4)

Detainer

The Secretary of Homeland Security shall issue a detainer for an alien described in paragraph (1)(E) and, if the alien is not otherwise detained by Federal, State, or local officials, shall effectively and expeditiously take custody of the alien.

.

3.

Savings provision

Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act, may be construed to limit the rights of crime victims under any other provision of law, including section 3771 of title 18, United States Code.

April 5, 2024

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed