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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senator Joni Ernst (R-ID) in reintroducing Sarah’s Law, a bill to require federal law enforcement to detain illegal immigrants criminally charged with killing or seriously injuring another person. The bill is named after Sarah Root, a twenty-one year-old girl struck and killed the night of her graduation by someone who entered the country illegally and was driving drunk.
“Twenty-one year-old Sarah Root was killed on the night of her graduation by someone who illegally entered the United States and was driving drunk in Omaha, Nebraska. Her story is heartbreaking and should never be forgotten,” said Senator Cramer. “Our legislation pays tribute to her memory by granting federal law enforcement officers the authority to detain illegal immigrants criminally charged with killing or seriously injuring someone. Backed by a powerful, tragic story, this commonsense legislation protects American citizens and better equips our law enforcement.”
Sarah’s Law would amend the mandatory detention provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act to require the federal government to take custody of anyone who entered the country illegally, violated the terms of their immigration status or had their visa revoked and is thereafter charged with a crime resulting in the death or serious bodily injury of another person. It would also requires ICE to make reasonable efforts to identify and provide relevant information to the crime victims or their families. Under this law, Sarah’s killer would have been detained by law enforcement and not allowed to flee from justice. The Root family would have been kept up-to-date on his status and federal immigration authorities’ efforts to remove him from the United States.
In January 2017, President Trump implemented major parts of Sarah’s Law via Executive Order, which included prioritized detention of criminal illegal immigrants and the creation of the Office of Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement. President Biden revoked this order on his first day in office.
Senators Cramer and Ernst are joined on this bill by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Thom Tillis (R-NC), James Inhofe (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), and John Thune (R-SD).