Enhance Punishments for
Illegal Immigrant Felons
Washington D.C. ____ In late June 2017, Representative
Paul Cook voted to pass Bill HR 3004, Kate’s Law. It passed the House of
Representatives and is now headed to the Senate. This Bill protects the public by enhancing penalties for deported felons who
return to the United States.
The Bill is named for Kate Steinle, a young woman
in San Francisco who was murdered by an illegal immigrant. Her murderer was
deported several times only to reenter the United States each time. Bill HR 3004 would ensure appropriate
punishment for individuals who re-enter the US illegally and commit additional
crimes.
Specifically, the Bill enhances the current maximum
sentences for criminal aliens who illegally reenter the United States to
between 10 years and 25 years in federal prison, depending on the individual criminal
history. In addition, any alien who is deported from the US prior to completion
of a prison term, who then re-enters the United States, can have the remainder
of their sentence reapplied. This is a significant enhancement over current law
and would represent a true deterrent for criminal aliens who seek to re-enter
the U.S.