Sen. Cruz and Rep. Salmon Introduce “Kate’s Law,” the Establishing Mandatory Minimums for Illegal Reentry Act
Bill would establish five-year minimum for illegal aliens who have reentered the country after having been removed
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced "Kate's Law," the Establishing Mandatory Minimums for Illegal Reentry Act of 2015 as a companion to legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.). The bill would amend federal law to impose a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for any illegal reentry offense. The bill is named for Kate Steinle, the 32-year-old woman who tragically died in the arms of her father on a San Francisco pier after being shot by an illegal alien who had several felony convictions and had been deported from the United States five times.
"What happened to this young woman on a pier in San Francisco is heartbreaking," said Sen. Cruz. "And the heartbreak is even more tragic given the circumstances. Clearly, our laws are not adequately deterring those who have already been deported from illegally reentering the country. And as we have seen in this case, and sadly, in too many others -- the consequences of failing to keep these aliens from returning are dangerous and can be deadly."
Cruz continued: "Too many Americans have been victimized by illegal aliens who had previously been deported. We must send the message that defiance of our laws will no longer be tolerated. Of course, stiff penalties alone will not suffice. Congress must also discourage cities from harboring illegal aliens, and it must hold this Administration accountable for its failure-if not its outright refusal-to enforce federal immigration laws and ensure the safety and security of the American people. I am honored to work with Rep. Salmon on this legislation and look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to address these problems."
"Thirty-two-year-old Kate Steinle's case has reminded us of an unfortunate fact-Congress simply cannot afford to leave any ambiguity in statute while trusting the Executive to prudently exercise its discretion," said Rep. Salmon. "By instituting mandatory minimums for those who illegally reenter our nation after already having been deported, we can dissuade those who so casually disregard our laws and continue to victimize Americans."
Sen. Cruz has also cosponsored Sen. Jeff Sessions's (R-Ala.) immigration enforcement bill, the Michael Davis, Jr. and Daniel Oliver in Honor of State and Local Law Enforcement Act, which undertakes robust reforms to strengthen immigration enforcement, including the withholding of federal funds from sanctuary cities, closing enforcement loopholes (especially for criminal aliens), enhancing penalties for immigration offenses, and authorizing immigration enforcement by the States. The bill is named after two local law enforcement officers in California who were murdered by an illegal alien with an extensive criminal history.
Complete bill text for Kate's Law can be found here.
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