State Partnerships to Enhance Removal of Criminal Aliens Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 7664 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7664 To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the performance of certain Department of Homeland Security counsel functions by State officers and employees, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 24, 2026 Mr. Schmidt introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the performance of certain Department of Homeland Security counsel functions by State officers and employees, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``State Partnerships to Enhance Removal of Criminal Aliens Act''. SEC. 2. PERFORMANCE OF CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY COUNSEL FUNCTIONS BY STATE OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES. Section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1357) is amended-- (1) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i); and (2) by inserting the following after subsection (g): ``(h) Performance of Certain Department of Homeland Security Counsel Functions by State Officers and Employees.-- ``(1) Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Attorney General, may enter into a written agreement with a State pursuant to which an officer or employee of the State, who is a licensed attorney and who is determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security to be qualified to perform the function of an Office of the Principal Legal Advisor attorney in representing the Department of Homeland Security in removal proceedin