Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst is proposing a law called “Sarah’s Law” to let Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) take custody of any illegal alien charged with a crime that seriously injures another person. However, New Mexico Democratic Senator Tom Udall opposes Sarah’s Law because he says it paints "immigrants" as more dangerous than other people.
Incredible. Foreigners who have entered the country illegally have already committed a crime. If they commit another crime that hurts someone, they have committed a second crime, and they are dangerous.
“Sarah’s Law” is named after 21-year-old Sarah Root, who killed by an illegal alien in Omaha, NE, on Jan. 31, 2016. The illegal alien who killed her, Edwin Mejia, was also drag racing with a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit.
Unfortunately, ICE failed to detain Mejia because of a policy that allows ICE to use discretion whether to detain illegals charged with a crime. Instead of placing him in jail or deporting him, Mejia posted a bond, was released, and then disappeared. He remains a fugitive four years after killing Sarah.
Not only does “Sarah’s law” allow ICE to take criminal illegal aliens into custody, but it also mandates a better victim notification system to let families know what happened to their loved ones. This tracking system is essential so that families can follow the case and the illegal alien in custody.
Democrats argued that the bill doesn’t help the immigration system but instead allows for the detention of “immigrants” charged on “certain crimes.” They ignore the fact that the “immigrants” are illegal aliens who have committed a felony and injured someone.
As usual, Democrats also try to confuse the issue by arguing about the Constitutional rights of non-citizens who entered the country illegally and committed a felony. They also claim that the Senate should not be legislating on immigration matters until they take action to protect another group of illegal aliens, DREAMers, permanently.
“Sarah’s Law” is necessary to close legal loopholes that allow illegal alien criminals to escape. The Democrats’ opposition to a law that would protect citizens and punish illegal alien criminals is not surprising. Democrat-run cities and states also protect illegal aliens by preventing local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE.
Citizens and voters should remember in November.