US House set to vote on another immigration bill

WASHINGTON

The US House of Representatives will vote on another immigration bill, Congresswoman Lisa McClain said Tuesday.

"Let me be clear: illegal immigrants who flee Border Patrol should never get a green card," McClain said at a news conference.

She said the bill is named after Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez, who died in 2022 in an ATV accident after pursuing migrants who crossed the border illegally into Texas.

"The bill named after him would prevent illegal immigrants who flee Border Patrol from ever being admitted into the United States," McClain added.

According to the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, a person who operates a motor vehicle within 100 miles (161 kilometers) of the US border while intentionally fleeing US Border Patrol or law enforcement is to be imprisoned, fined and deported.

"If you cross the border illegally and cause harm during a high-speed chase, you should never be admitted to the United States or offered asylum.

"This bill sends a message to illegal aliens, drug traffickers and smugglers, the bad guys. You threaten American lives, and you will face the full consequences of the law. We must protect our law enforcement officers," McClain said.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Senate Majority Leader John Thune will bring the bill to the floor when the House sends it over to him.

"That will have a really good chance of getting to President (Donald) Trump's desk, like the Laken Riley Act, where the president will be able to sign more legislation just in his first weeks in office to deliver on those promises of securing America's border," Scalise said.

Last month, Trump signed into law the Laken Riley Act concerning non-US citizens charged with or convicted of certain crimes, marking his first piece of legislation in his second presidential term.