South Carolina H 5280: Miss South Carolina

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5280 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 26, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5280

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

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.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Chapter 7, Title 5 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

 Section 
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.

SECTION 2. Section 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.

SECTION 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