Due Process Isn’t Optional
We help citizens understand the limits on federal authority and demand due-process safeguards from their representatives.
Mission
Our Mission
FederalLimits.org gives any citizen a fast way to contact their representatives about warrants, transparency, and accountability — helping them understand and defend the limits on federal authority.
Two minutes. An email address. Your voice heard.
Rationale
Why This Exists
Federal law draws clear lines between federal and state authority. States have no obligation to enforce federal civil law. Local resources should serve local priorities.
But those lines only matter if people know they exist — and if they speak up.
That’s where we come in. We make it easy for anyone to:
- Understand what protections already exist under law
- See how their state measures up on due-process safeguards
- Contact their representatives with specific, actionable asks
- Track which officials support due-process limits
Principles
What We Believe
Due Process for Everyone
The same due-process protections apply to all people, regardless of status. Warrants matter. Identification matters. Transparency matters.
Local Control
States and localities have no obligation to enforce federal civil law. This isn’t obstruction — it’s federalism working as designed.
Fiscal Responsibility
Taxpayers shouldn’t subsidize unfunded federal mandates. If the federal government wants local help, they should pay for it.
Transparency
Citizens have a right to know how their government agencies are being used, by whom, and under what authority.
Non-Partisan Infrastructure
Due process isn’t left or right — it’s American. We build tools that work for anyone who believes in limits on federal authority.
Doctrine
The Legal Foundation
Our framework rests on settled law:
Anti-Commandeering Doctrine
- New York v. United States (1992) — Congress cannot compel states to enact or administer a federal program
- Printz v. United States (1997) — Federal government cannot compel states to enforce federal law
- Murphy v. NCAA (2018) — Reaffirmed anti-commandeering
- Galarza v. Szalczyk (3rd Cir. 2014) — ICE detainers are requests, not commands
States can refuse to help. States generally cannot regulate federal officers directly.
This isn’t about blocking lawful federal action. It’s about states choosing how to allocate their own resources.
Theory of Change
How Change Happens
Politicians come and go. Infrastructure stays.
Methodology
How We Grade States
FederalLimits.org grades all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico on nine Cooperation Standards — the specific due-process and resource-limit protections that determine how much a state has done to enforce federal limits. Each standard is scored 0–2; the maximum is 18 points.
Current national average: 3.29 / 18. Grade distribution: A (4 jurisdictions), B (3), C (3), D (6), F (36).
1. Personnel & Resource Limits
Bars state and local employees from using public time or facilities for federal civil enforcement operations.
2. Cooperation Contract Prohibitions
Prohibits 287(g) agreements that deputize local officers as federal civil enforcement agents.
3. Sensitive Location Protections
Keeps schools, hospitals, houses of worship, and courthouses off-limits for civil enforcement activity.
4. Private Detention Restrictions
Limits or bans for-profit civil detention contracts within the state’s jurisdiction.
5. Information Firewalls
Restricts bulk sharing of state-held data with federal civil enforcement without a judicial warrant.
6. Warrant Requirement
Requires a judicially-issued warrant — not an administrative detainer — before any custodial hold.
7. Documentation Transparency
Mandates public reporting on enforcement contacts, detainer requests, and agency cooperation activity.
8. Enforcement & Remedies
Gives individuals a meaningful legal path when state-level protections are violated.
9. Federal Agent ID & Recording
Requires federal agents operating in the state to identify themselves and permits recording of enforcement activity.
Structure
Who We Are
FederalLimits.org is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization — civic infrastructure that any citizen can use to engage their representatives on the limits of federal authority.
We build the plumbing that makes constituent voices heard. And when officials vote against the protections their own districts asked for, we can say so out loud — with the receipts attached.
Support the Work
We’re funded by small-dollar donations from citizens who believe in due process. We are just getting started.
Donate →