Scoop: Republicans target migrants who come back after deportations
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The GOP is ready to force Democrats into another tough and divisive vote on immigration, just a week after Congress passed the Laken Riley Act.
Driving the news: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) will reintroduce a bill on Tuesday to impose harsher penalties on migrants who try to illegally recross into the U.S. after being removed.
Zoom in: The bill is sometimes called "Kate's Law," named after a 32-year-old woman killed on a San Francisco pier by an undocumented immigrant who had felony convictions and was removed from the U.S. five times.
- Committees in both chambers are expected to move fast on the legislation.
- Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has already signed on.
- Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has yet to weigh in but has shown an eagerness to force Dems into tough votes — first on immigration and crime and next on ICC sanctions.
Between the lines: Senate Democrats are deadlocked over how to handle these tough votes.
- 46 House Democrats and 12 Senate Democrats voted with Republicans on the Laken Riley Act. It requires ICE to detain tens of thousands more undocumented immigrants charged or convicted of various crimes.
- A group of Democrats are pushing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for a clear top-down strategy, as Axios scooped.
What they're saying: "I first introduced the Stop Illegal Reentry Act, also known as Kate's Law, a decade ago," Cruz said. "It is named in honor of Kate Steinle, who was murdered by an illegal alien and convicted felon who had reentered our country."
- Bice added: "We must take a firm stance against individuals who continue to violate our laws and endanger the safety of the American people. The previous administration's disastrous handling of border enforcement has made our country less safe and our streets more dangerous."
The bottom line: The bill increases the fines and maximum prison sentences that migrants can face if they attempt to illegally cross the border after being removed or deported.
- A migrant who crosses more than once would face up to five years in prison, and one who attempts to cross illegally could face up to 10 years.
- The bill also requires a minimum of five years in prison for anyone who has multiple convictions or was convicted of an aggravated felony and then tries to illegally reenter the country.
