PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Mar 6, 2025
Blocking Lawless Open Border Cities and States Act of 2025 or the BLOC Act
This bill prohibits federal funding of certain infrastructure and transportation projects in jurisdictions that do not require federal notification prior to release from custody of a non-U.S. national (alien under federal law) who is not lawfully present.
Specifically, the Department of Transportation is prohibited from providing funds for infrastructure projects, including for highway construction, to a political subdivision of a state that does not have certain statutory requirements or other practices in place a year after enactment of this bill. Political subdivisions of a state must require entities of the political subdivision to notify the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 48 hours prior to releasing from custody an individual determined to be not lawfully present in the United States if DHS has notified the entity of the status of the individual and the individual has been in custody for at least 48 hours.
People & committees
Rep. Crank, Jeff [R-CO-5] · R–CO
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Jun 3, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-03-06 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This bill would make local governments’ access to certain federal infrastructure funds depend on having a policy requiring advance notice to federal immigration authorities before releasing certain noncitizens from custody. The requirement would apply when Homeland Security determines that the person is unlawfully present and specified notification and custody timing conditions are met. Local governments would have one year after enactment to put the required policy in place.
The Secretary of Transportation shall not obligate or award funds for any infrastructure project, including for highway construction, to a political subdivision of a State, nor shall any funds obligated or awarded to a State, go to any political subdivision of a State that does not have in effect not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the BLOC Act a statute, ordinance, policy, or practice requiring an entity or official of such political subdivision to notify the Secretary of Homeland Security (or designee thereof) not later than 48 hours before of the release from custody or detainment of an alien if—
(1) the Secretary of Homeland Security (or designee thereof) has determined that such alien is not lawfully present in the United States; (2) not later than 48 hours before such release, the Secretary of Homeland Security (or designee thereof) has notified the sheriff or detaining entity of such State or political subdivision of the legal status of such alien; and (3) such alien has been in custody or detainment for not less than 48 hours before such release.
Section 1 names the proposal the “Blocking Lawless Open Border Cities and States Act of 2025,” or “BLOC Act.”
This Act may be cited as the Blocking Lawless Open Border Cities and States Act of 2025 or the BLOC Act.
Section 2 would prohibit the Secretary of Transportation from committing or awarding infrastructure project funds, including highway construction funds, to local governments that lack the required notification policy. It would also prohibit funds committed or awarded to a State from going to those local governments.
The Secretary of Transportation shall not obligate or award funds for any infrastructure project, including for highway construction, to a political subdivision of a State, nor shall any funds obligated or awarded to a State, go to any political subdivision of a State that does not have in effect not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the BLOC Act a statute, ordinance, policy, or practice
To satisfy the funding condition, a local government would need a law, ordinance, policy, or practice in effect no later than one year after enactment. It would have to require a local entity or official to notify the Secretary of Homeland Security, or a designated representative, at least 48 hours before a covered release from custody or detention.
does not have in effect not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the BLOC Act a statute, ordinance, policy, or practice requiring an entity or official of such political subdivision to notify the Secretary of Homeland Security (or designee thereof) not later than 48 hours before of the release from custody or detainment of an alien if—
The required notification policy would cover releases only when all three conditions are met: Homeland Security has determined that the noncitizen is unlawfully present; Homeland Security has notified the sheriff or detaining entity of that status at least 48 hours before release; and the person has been held for at least 48 hours before release.
(1) the Secretary of Homeland Security (or designee thereof) has determined that such alien is not lawfully present in the United States; (2) not later than 48 hours before such release, the Secretary of Homeland Security (or designee thereof) has notified the sheriff or detaining entity of such State or political subdivision of the legal status of such alien; and (3) such alien has been in custody or detainment for not less than 48 hours before such release.
The bill would use the definition of “infrastructure project” in a federal regulation, fixing that definition to the version in effect on the date of enactment.
In this section, the term infrastructure project has the meaning given such term in section 184.3 of title 2, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of the BLOC Act).
The supplied action snapshot, updated June 3, 2026, records introduction and referral to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on March 6, 2025. It also records referral to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit on March 7, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-06-03T08:08:12Z. 2026-03-07: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. 2025-03-06: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. 2025-03-06: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-03-06. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not cover other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow preferential benefit, special exemption, or carve-out was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jun 3, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI