House Republicans Prepare Illegal Immigration Bills

Republicans in the House of Representatives are reportedly preparing to vote on two bills that deal with an illegal immigration crackdown this week. The bills look set to fulfill the promises made by President Donald Trump during last year’s election campaign to enforce stronger immigration regulations in the US.

‘Kate’s Law’ is the name of one of the bills, according to Politico. It is named for Kate Steinle, a young woman who lost her life after being shot by a repeatedly-deported undocumented immigrant in San Francisco. If passed, the bill would see the penalties increased for undocumented immigrants who return to the US after deportation. The Steinle tragedy was referenced several times by Trump in 2016.

The second bill aims to crack down on localities referred to as ‘sanctuary cities’. These attempt to cooperate with federal immigration authorities as little as possible by refusing to keep undocumented immigrants, arrested for other offenses, in detention long enough for them to be picked up for deportation by federal officials. This bill, known as the ‘No Sanctuaries for Criminals Act’, will also be voted on this week and will increase penalties for such localities.

The bill, if passed, would also force counties and cities to obey federal immigration orders to keep such immigrants in custody. It would also extend the mandatory detention policy, to apply to immigrants whose US visas have already been revoked and who have committed violations including drunk driving.