Dear Representatives Bice and Knott,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for H.R. 3486, the “Stop Illegal Entry Act,” which will be considered on the House floor this week.
As law enforcement officers, we believe that those who repeatedly break the law should be held accountable for their actions, which includes those who illegally enter the United States and engage in illicit activities like drug smuggling, human trafficking, and money laundering. When these criminals are subsequently removed from our country and then are able to re-enter and proceed to commit further offenses, it means the system is not working. Our officers fight crime every day in our country, and they should be assured that dangerous individuals who are deported are unable to return.
This legislation would impose additional criminal penalties for people convicted of entering, or attempting to enter, the United States after a previous removal or denial of entry. It would increase the penalty to up to five years in Federal prison, or up to ten years if the person has been denied entry or removed three times. Additionally, a person who was previously convicted of an aggravated felony or convicted of unlawful reentry at least twice would be subject to a mandatory minimum term of five years and could be sentenced to up to twenty years. These penalties would act as a deterrent for bad actors entering our country and would help our officers prevent these dangerous people from harming our communities.
On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, thank you both for your leadership on this legislation. If I can provide any additional information or support for this effort, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President