EXCLUSIVE — A House Republican is looking to crack down on the release of illegal immigrants who have committed crimes inside the United States and expedite deportations of those who have entered the country illegally.
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) is set to reintroduce a bill on Thursday that would strengthen the Department of Homeland Security’s authority to issue requests to local and state authorities to detain illegal immigrants who have committed any crime. The legislation would permit local officials to hold the person for up to 48 hours to allow the DHS to take him or her into federal custody.
“President Biden and the leftists in his party are set on pursuing an open borders, soft-on-crime agenda, and Americans are bearing the brunt of their lawlessness,” Bishop said in a statement. “The chaos and disorder we’re seeing across the nation is entirely preventable, and I’m determined to do all I can in Congress to combat it.”
The bill, named the Immigration Detainer Enforcement Act, would also allow the federal government to protect local law enforcement agencies from third-party wrongful detention claims. The legislation would provide compensation for those agencies if they are challenged over a detainer that is issued “without reason to believe the individual is a removable illegal immigrant.”
States and local authorities that comply with the DHS detainer requests will be granted prioritized access to certain law enforcement-related grants and excess federal property, according to the bill. By contrast, those who do not comply with the detainment requests could be deemed ineligible for reimbursement of detention costs.
Bishop is also set to introduce a second bill on Wednesday to bolster law enforcement’s authority further to carry out their duties. Bishop, along with Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), is proposing legislation that would increase data collection to combat attacks against law enforcement.
The Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act would expand the number of categories that can be used to report attacks on police officers as a way to “help law enforcement officers prepare for, identify, and prevent future anti-police activity.”
The bill would also require reports on the mental health and stress-related effects the attacks may have on police officers, as well as a study on the extent to which mental health resources are used by law enforcement officials.
That bill has already received support from several Republicans in the House and Senate and is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Police Organizations, and other law enforcement organizations.
The bills come in response to a rise in crime committed by illegal immigrants, including attacks on local law enforcement officials. Bishop specifically cited the death of Laken Riley, a nursing student who was killed on the University of Georgia campus, as a reason to strengthen DHS detainer capabilities.
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Riley’s death has become a flashpoint for Republican lawmakers after it was discovered the suspect arrested in her death was a Venezuelan immigrant arrested in 2022 on charges of illegally crossing the border but later released into the country. Lawmakers have since introduced legislation in response to her killing to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain immigrants who have committed crimes.
“I’m committed to standing with our law enforcement officers and upholding law and order,” Bishop said. “These bills will address two vital issues: the lack of comprehensive data on attacks against law enforcement, and the tragedies that result when sanctuary cities ignore ICE detainers and release violent illegal aliens onto the streets.”