Sens. Cruz, Cotton, Grassley Continue to Fight for Kate’s Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) reintroduced Kate’s Law, bicameral legislation which was first introduced in July 2015. The legislation is named in memory of Kate Steinle, a 32-year-old woman tragically shot and killed by an illegal alien who had several felony convictions and had been deported from the United States five times. This bill would amend federal law to impose a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for any person who has multiple convictions, or a conviction for an aggravated felony, who enters the country illegally. The bill is co-sponsored in the Senate by Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and in the House by Reps. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Bill Posey (R-Fla.), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Mary Miller (R-Ill.), Ryan Zinke (R-Mo.), Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Brian Babin (R-Texas) and David Krustoff (R-Tenn.).

About the reintroduction, Sen. Cruz said, “Eight years ago, when I first introduced Kate’s Law, I was just as shocked and dismayed that Kate Steinle was killed by an illegal felon who had reentered the U.S. as I am today. Almost a decade has gone by since this shooting and we have yet to strengthen federal law to prevent a tragedy like this from recurring. The first time this legislation was stopped by Senate Democrats, I vowed to continue fighting for Kate’s Law, and I am proud to introduce this legislation once again to prevent aggravated felons from preying on innocent Americans.”

Rep. Bice said, “Earlier this year in Texas, an individual who had been deported four times killed five individuals, proving the extensive flaws in our immigration system. Under the Biden administration the southern border is completely out of control, with record breaking crossings occurring every month. In Fiscal Year 2022, CBP arrested 12,028 individuals with criminal convictions. This legislation would impose tougher criminal penalties against illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes, and those who illegally reenter the United States after previously being deported.”

Sen. Cotton said, “Illegal immigrants who re-enter our country after deportation show a knowing and willful disregard for our laws. This bill will ensure that illegal aliens who return to the U.S. face serious prison time.”

Sen. Grassley said, “We need tougher penalties for individuals who re-enter our country illegally, especially those who do so with a long rap sheet to their name. It’s dangerous and unjust to let these criminals off the hook. I hope Democrats will wake up to the reality at our southern border and drop opposition to this bill. The safety of American citizens depends on it.”

Read the bill here.

BACKGROUND:

Kate’s Law would increase criminal penalties for certain aliens who illegally reenter the United States after removal or exclusion.

The legislation is named for Kate Steinle, a 32-year-old woman tragically shot and killed by an illegal alien who had several felony convictions and had been deported from the United States five times.

This bill would amend federal law to impose a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for any person who has multiple convictions, or a conviction for an aggravated felony, who enters the country illegally.

Read the bill here.

Sen. Cruz has led the fight to secure the border:

• Sen. Cruz has led numerous groups of legislators on trips to the U.S. Mexico border to document the unrelenting crisis there under Joe Biden’s open borders agenda.
• Sen. Cruz introduced the WALL Act to fully fund the wall along the southern border, and the EL CHAPO Act, which would use money forfeited to the U.S. government as a result of the criminal prosecution of Mexican drug lord “El Chapo” and other drug kingpins for border security and the completion of the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
• Sen. Cruz has fought to keep American communities safe, as “sanctuary cities” across the country refuse to enforce the laws and release violent criminals illegally into our country. The Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act would allow local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and would pull taxpayer-funded grants to sanctuary cities.
• Sen. Cruz has successfully secured several amendments to the Coast Guard Authorization Act which support security efforts at our southern border. Sen. Cruz delivered on legislation that mandates real-time data sharing between U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (USCBP) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), legislation that would mandate the acquisition of enhanced surveillance capabilities for the southern maritime boundary, and legislation that would explore the creation of a Coast Guard facility at Port Mansfield.
• Sen. Cruz led the Asylum Accountability Act in the Senate which would impose a significant increase in the penalty for illegal aliens who fail to appear in immigration court by permanently barring them from gaining any future benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
• Sen. Cruz led the effort to confront the Biden administration to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the U.S. southern borderby establishing effective immigration controls in the United States. He also focused on targeting U.S. foreign assistance efforts to strengthen border security and migration management capacities in the region, and leveraging existing bilateral extradition treaties and the Palermo Protocols to prosecute transnational criminal actors facilitating illegal migration to the United State.

###