SENATORS JOHN McCAIN & JEFF FLAKE INTRODUCE CRIMINAL ALIEN DEPORTATION ACT
Jul 13 2015 Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) today introduced the Criminal Alien Deportation Act, legislation that would require Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials to detain undocumented immigrants arrested or convicted of serious crimes and deport them within 90 days. The bill is a Senate companion to the Stop Catch and Release Act of 2015 (Grant’s Law) introduced in the House this month by Representative Matt Salmon (R-AZ), and co-sponsored by Arizona Representatives Trent Franks (R-AZ), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Martha McSally (R-AZ) and others that would put an end to the Obama Administration’s policy of releasing illegal immigrants with pending criminal charges from prison. The legislation follows the shooting of 21-year-old QuikTrip clerk Grant Ronnebeck of Mesa, Arizona by an illegal immigrant who had been prematurely released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite having been previously convicted of a felony as he awaited the outcome of his deportation proceeding. In addition, this month, 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle was fatally shot in San Francisco, California by an undocumented immigrant with seven felony convictions who had been released due to a law that deemed him ineligible for extended detention. According to DHS, between 2010 and 2014, 122 undocumented immigrants who were released from prison while awaiting deportation trials were later charged with homicides. “It is simply irresponsible to release known criminals into the public because their court hearings take years to process,” said Senators McCain and Flake. “Our bill would stop the reckless catch-and-release policies that have led to the murders of Grant, Kate, and many others by providing states the resources they need to quickly complete deportation trials. In Arizona, we’ve seen the success of detaining and swiftly prosecuting criminal immigrants under Operation Streamline, and our bill would be an important step in extending a ‘zero tolerance’ approach nationwide.” To address the shortage in qualified immigration judges that are needed to speed up deportation proceedings, the bill would allow the U.S. Attorney General to designate up to 100 temporary immigration judges to ensure that states have appropriate resources to manage and complete these cases. The bill would also highlight the success of Operation Streamline, which has proven to reduce recidivism rates of illegal immigrants by enabling authorities to expeditiously prosecute those entering or reentering illegally using a “zero tolerance” approach. Finally, the bill would require DHS to submit a report to Congress each year with critical information about its detainment, prosecution and deportation of illegal immigrants. The scope of DHS’ catch-and-release policy came to light as a result of a February 2015 letter from Flake and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) pressing the agency for answers in the aftermath of Ronnebeck’s murder. In 2014, Senators McCain and Flake sent letters questioning how DHS manages the release of undocumented immigrant detainees and responds to threats on the southern border following ICE’s release of thousands of detainees – many with criminal records – without guidance from DHS or other Administration officials. Senators McCain and Flake also sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder last year on the Justice Department’s plan to cease prosecuting all first-time and some repeat illegal border crossers under Operation Streamline, and introduced legislation expressing the success of Operation Streamline in reducing recidivism among illegal border crossers. The text of the legislation is here. ###
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