Public Safety First Act

Senate Bill

S. 149

119th Congress

Public Safety First Act

In Committee

Introduced:Jan 17, 2025

Primary Sponsor

John Cornyn

Senator

Republican

TX

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Immigration

Summary

This bill requires DHS to detain non-citizens who are unlawfully present or lacked proper documents at entry and have been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admit to committing burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The mandatory detention applies regardless of the severity of the offense and removes discretion from immigration authorities in these cases.

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

SponsorJohn Cornyn (R-TX)

Introduced1/17/2025

StatusRead twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

ChamberSenate

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

Public Safety First Act

This bill requires DHS to detain non-citizens who are unlawfully present or lacked proper documents at entry and have been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admit to committing burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The mandatory detention applie

Community Breakdown

Pass

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Fail

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0 predictions

This bill requires DHS to detain non-citizens who are unlawfully present or lacked proper documents at entry and have been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admit to committing burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The mandatory detention applies regardless of the severity of the offense and removes discretion from immigration authorities in these cases.

Bill Number: 149
Sponsor: John Cornyn (R-TX)
Introduced: 1/17/2025
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Policy Area: Immigration

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Public Safety First Act
Bill Number: 149
Sponsor: John Cornyn (R-TX)
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced: 1/17/2025
Summary: This bill requires DHS to detain non-citizens who are unlawfully present or lacked proper documents at entry and have been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admit to committing burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The mandatory detention applies regardless of the severity of the offe

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill requires DHS to detain non-citizens who are unlawfully present or lacked proper documents at entry and have been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admit to committing burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The mandatory detention applies regardless of the severity of the offense and removes discretion from immigration authorities in these cases.

Last updated: 1/4/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Public Safety First ActThis bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. Specifically, DHS must detain an individual who (1) is unlawfully present in the United States or did not possess the necessary documents when applying for admission; and (2) has been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.<ul></ul>

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Mandatory detention for theft-related offenses by non-citizens
Covers burglary, theft, larceny, and shoplifting
Applies to charges, arrests, and convictions
Includes admissions without formal charges
Removes DHS discretion in detention decisions

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This legislation responds to concerns about retail theft and property crimes attributed to unauthorized immigrants. The broad mandatory detention trigger including mere arrests and admissions goes beyond typical criminal conviction requirements. Critics argue it could lead to detention based on unproven allegations and overwhelm detention capacity. Supporters contend it protects communities from repeat offenders.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Immigration

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

149, 119th Congress (2025). "Public Safety First Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-149

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