The House on Thursday approved a bill that would require Washington, D.C., to fully comply with federal immigration laws, marking the first step in advancing President Donald Trump’s broader effort to make the capital “safe and beautiful” again.
The District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act of 2025 passed the chamber in a 234-194 vote, with 11 Democrats joining Republicans in support. The legislation mandates that D.C. follow immigration enforcement directives from both the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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It would also eliminate the city’s current sanctuary jurisdiction policies.
“The D.C. City Council has a history of thumbing its nose at federal agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, that are responsible for protecting national security and the safety and wellbeing of the American people,”
— Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Chairwoman of the House Rules Committee
Foxx made her comments Monday during a hearing on three D.C.-focused bills hitting the floor this week.
“As the nation’s capital, the District of Columbia should set a serious example that harboring illegal aliens, and obstructing the work of federal law enforcement, is not an option,” she added.
The House already passed the other two D.C.-centered bills earlier this week:
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The Protecting Our Nation’s Capital Emergency Act, which gained 30 Democratic votes, and
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A bill banning noncitizens from voting in D.C. elections, backed by 56 Democrats.
All three proposals build on executive orders issued during Trump’s presidency, especially following his formation of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which monitors sanctuary city policies and local compliance with immigration law.
The Federal Immigration Compliance Act now moves to the Senate, where it faces a tougher path. It would need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, but some swing-state Democrats may side with Republicans to support it.
While the House advanced multiple bills impacting D.C., it left one significant issue unresolved: a vote on restoring nearly $1 billion in city funding.
A temporary stopgap spending bill passed earlier this year froze the city’s budget at 2024 levels until Congress approves new appropriations. The Senate already passed a funding fix unanimously, but so far, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) hasn’t said when the House will vote on it.
Johnson had pledged the House would act “as quickly as possible” — but no timeline has been announced.
