Michigan state Rep. James DeSana believes “no community should be allowed to act as a haven for those who have entered the country illegally.”

“Sanctuary cities put Michigan families at risk,” he said in a statement. “When local governments choose to ignore immigration laws, they undermine public safety and break the trust of law-abiding residents.”

In an effort to ensure that doesn’t happen, DeSana on Thursday led his Republican colleagues in introducing House Bill 4342, legislation tie-barred with House bills 4338 and 4339 to block funding for jurisdictions with policies that help shield illegal immigrants from deportation.

The bill reads:

For each fiscal year beginning on and after October 1, 2025, if any city, village, township, or county enacts or enforces a law, ordinance, policy or rule that violates the local government sanctuary policy prohibition act or the county law enforcement protection act, the state treasurer shall withhold any payment the city, village, township, or county is eligible to receive under this act for as long as the city, village, township, or county continues to enforce that law, ordinance, policy, or rule.

HB 4338 outlines the local government sanctuary policy prohibition, and HB 4339 spells out the county law enforcement act.

The former allows residents to initiate legal action in circuit court, and to file a complaint with the Michigan Attorney General against local governments with sanctuary policies, defined as “any law, ordinance, policy, or rule that limits or prohibits a peace officer or local official, officer, or employee from communicating or coordinating with appropriate federal officials concerning the immigration status of an individual in this state.”

HB 4339 stipulates the same for counties.

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The legislation tasks the Attorney General with investigating complaints, and initiating legal action against local governments in circuit court if sanctuary policies are confirmed.

If the court determines a policy violates the law, the legislation requires three things: an injunction prohibiting enforcement, an order requiring repeal, and an award for “actual damages, costs, and reasonable attorney fees to the party challenging the law, ordinance, policy, or rule.”

“Michigan dollars should be focused on helping our seniors, schools, working families, and people who are working hard to get back on their feet, not individuals who have entered illegally and skipped the process to stay here,” DeSana said. “Every dollar we spend for illegal aliens, is a dollar that we aren’t spending to help those who need it and earned it.”

The sanctuary bills follow other efforts by House Republicans to push back on sanctuary policies this year amid the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, initiated as promised on the first day of President Donald Trump’s second term.

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In February, House Republicans adopted House Resolution 19 to require local governments to submit information to the lower chamber affirming cooperation with federal immigration enforcement to qualify for special legislative grants, commonly referred to as pork projects.

The Center for Immigration Studies identifies 7 Michigan municipalities, mostly counties, where “laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other practices that obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE.”

They include jail policies in Leelanau, Muskegon, Oakland, and Washtenaw counties, as well as sheriff’s policies in Kalamazoo and Wayne counties.

CIS also identifies the city of Lansing as a sanctuary, citing a 2017 city council policy not to honor detainer requests without a criminal arrest warrant.

Other municipalities including Bay City, Saginaw, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo Township have discussed similar policies in recent weeks, though only Bay City adopted a “welcoming city” resolution that banned local law enforcement from enforcing immigration law or inquiring about immigration status.

That resolution was later vetoed by Mayor Chris Girard, and the city commission did not attempt to overrule him.

Girard noted the resolution likely would come with financial consequences from both the state and federal government the community could not afford.

“If our state and federal resources are significantly cut or eliminated it will far outweigh any costs associated with carrying out the resolution passed by the commission,” Girard said. “In addition the impact will also be felt by our community partners including county and non-profit programs in our entire surrounding communities.”

President Donald Trump in February signed an executive order “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization Of Open Borders” to block taxpayer funded social services and government assistance for illegal immigrants, and federal funding for sanctuary jurisdictions.

The sanctuary bills introduced by Michigan House Republicans on Thursday face long-odds in a state Senate controlled by Democrats, who have blocked efforts by Republicans in the upper chamber to align state and federal immigration policies.

All three bills are currently awaiting a hearing in the House Committee on Government Operations.