Empowering Law Enforcement Act of 2023

The Empowering Law Enforcement Act of 2023 would allow state and local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws by investigating, arresting, and detaining individuals who are in the United States without proper authorization. The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to add certain immigration violators (including those with final removal orders or expired visas) to the National Crime Information Center database and establishes procedures for transferring aliens apprehended by state officers to federal custody within 48 hours. It extends detention periods for some individuals and provides legal immunity for state officers who enforce immigration laws within their official duties. The bill also mandates that DHS create training materials for state and local law enforcement on immigration enforcement procedures. These provisions would directly affect state and local law enforcement agencies, immigration detainees, and the federal government's immigration enforcement system.