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2025-2026 Bill 5280: Immigration Law Enforcement and Local Government - South Carolina Legislature Online
South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5280
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. Long
Document Path: LC-0306HA26.docx
Introduced in the House on February 26, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Immigration Law Enforcement and Local Government
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date
Body
Action Description with journal page number
2/26/2026
House
Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 12
)
2/26/2026
House
Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 12
)
View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
02/26/2026
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
5-7-320
SO AS TO PROHIBIT
MUNICIPALITIES FROM RESTRICTING ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS OR
LIMITING INFORMATION REGARDING CITIZENSHIP OR IMMIGRATION STATUS, AND PERMIT
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO BRING A CIVIL ACTION AND ESTABLISH A RIGHT OF ACTION
FOR CERTAIN CITIZENS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION
6-1-170
, RELATING TO PREEMPTION
OF LOCAL ORDINANCE RELATING TO IMMIGRATION, SO AS TO PROHIBIT POLITICAL
SUBDIVISIONS FROM RESTRICTING ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS OR
LIMITING INFORMATION REGARDING CITIZENSHIP OR IMMIGRATION STATUS, AND PERMIT
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO BRING A CIVIL ACTION AND ESTABLISH A RIGHT OF ACTION
FOR CERTAIN CITIZENS.
B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
S
ECTION 1.
C
hapter 7, Title 5 of the S.C. Code is amended by
adding:
S
ection
5-7-320
.
(
A) No municipality may have
in effect any policy, ordinance, or procedure that limits or restricts the
enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted
by federal law.
(
B) No
municipality shall do any of the following related to information regarding the
citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual:
(
1)
prohibit law enforcement officials or agencies from gathering information
related to an individual's citizenship or immigration status;
(
2)
direct law enforcement officials or agencies not to gather information related
to an individual's citizenship or immigration status; and
(
3)
prohibit the communication of information related to an individual's
citizenship or immigration status to federal law enforcement agencies.
(
C) The
Attorney General may bring a civil action against a municipality to enjoin and
restrain future violations of this section.
(
D) Any
citizen of this State aggrieved by a municipality's violation of this section
has a private right of action against the municipality to enjoin and restrain
future violations of this section.
S
ECTION 2.
S
ection
6-1-170
of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:
(
F)
(
1)
No political subdivision of this State may have in effect any policy,
ordinance, or procedure that limits or restricts the enforcement of federal
immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law.
(
2) No
political subdivision of this State shall do any of the following related to
information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or
unlawful, of any individual:
(
a)
prohibit law enforcement officials or agencies from gathering information
related to an individual's citizenship or immigration status;
(
b)
direct law enforcement officials or agencies not to gather information related
to an individual's citizenship or immigration status; and
(
c)
prohibit the communication of information related to an individual's
citizenship or immigration status to federal law enforcement agencies.
(
3) The
Attorney General may bring a civil action against a municipality to enjoin and
restrain future violations of this subsection.
(
4) Any
citizen of this State aggrieved by a municipality's violation of this section
has a private right of action against the municipality to enjoin and restrain
future violations of this section.
S
ECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.
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This web page was last updated on February 26, 2026 at 11:19 AM