FOX First: House and Senate Republicans are reviving a push to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) beds to be filled before illegal immigrants can be released from custody. The bill is named after 12-year-old murder victim Jocelyn Nungarai.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Troy Neals (R-Texas) are reintroducing the Justice for Jocelyn Act.
The bill would require all ICE detention beds to be filled before illegal immigrants are released into the interior. Even if capacity is met, the bill would require DHS to take additional measures, such as enrolling migrants in continuous GPS monitoring via ankle bracelets or similar devices, before releasing them into the interior. It will be mandatory to do everything thoroughly.
Cruz vows to push against illegal immigration at Republican convention after child murder: ‘Speak for Jocelyn’
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas (ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images/File)
The bill is named after Nungarai, who was murdered last year. Two illegal immigrants are facing charges of capital murder and are accused of luring her under a bridge, tying her up, killing her, and throwing her body into a river.
Authorities admitted they were in the country illegally. One arrived in March and the other in May. Both men were released on recognizance orders pending immigration court hearings.
“Last year, I began fighting for justice for 12-year-old Jocelyn. Her murderer, an alien, crossed the southern border illegally and should have been detained by ICE,” Cruz said. told FOX News Digital.
“Democrats’ reckless open border policies have hampered the work of ICE and Border Patrol agents, left thousands of empty detention center beds, and led to the release of these criminals. “We must act urgently to ensure that no other American family has to go through what Jocelyn did,” he said. “It is a great honor to stand with Alexis in the fight for justice, and I will not stop fighting until our community is safe and justice is served.”
“I am proud to join my Texas colleague, Sen. Ted Cruz, in reintroducing the Justice for Jocelyn Act,” Niels said in a statement. “Jocelyn Nungarai’s death was completely preventable. The Justice for Jocelyn Act would improve the detention and tracking of illegal aliens released into the United States and prioritize the safety of Americans. .”
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Rep. Troy Neals, R-Texas (Nathan Howard/File)
“Congress, the House and Senate, must pass this bill immediately and get it to President Trump’s desk as soon as possible,” he said.
The bill is one of a number of bills in Congress focused on cracking down on illegal immigration. The House of Representatives last week passed the Laken-Reilly Act, which requires the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft-related crimes. It also advanced in the Senate.
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On Monday, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) reintroduced “Sarah’s Law,” which would require ICE detention of illegal immigrants charged with murder.
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The incoming Trump administration is expected to launch a “historic” large-scale deportation operation when it takes office next week, and is likely to have support from Republicans in both houses of Congress.
Adam Shaw is a political reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.
Contact him at adam.shaw2@fox.com or at: Twitter.
