House passes bill to deport immigrants convicted of assaulting police
Cami Mondeaux
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Illegal immigrants convicted of assaulting a police officer could be immediately deported from the country under a new bill that passed the House on Wednesday.
The House voted 255-175 to approve the Protect Our Law Enforcement with Immigration Control and Enforcement Act, which would make it a deportable offense to assault law enforcement officers while they are conducting official business. Thirty-six Democrats joined all Republicans in voting in favor of the bill, easily surpassing the 218 votes needed for passage.
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“As the Biden Border Crisis rages on, I have serious concerns about the ramifications for law enforcement officers who are on the front lines dealing with migrants,” said Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), who introduced the bill. “Whether on Long Island or at the southern border, there should be no ambiguity that assaulting a police officer is a deportable offense for non-citizens. The POLICE Act would ensure that we can hold criminals accountable for violence against law enforcement officers who are simply doing their jobs.”
The bill would also require the Department of Homeland Security to publish an annual report detailing the number of illegal immigrants who have been deported for assaulting a police officer, according to an amendment introduced by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) that passed the House on Wednesday.
The legislation was previously introduced in the last Congress but had failed to make it to the House floor for a vote. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain future in the Democratic-led chamber. The White House has also come out in opposition to the bill, citing concerns the legislation would be used to deport those who commit nonviolent or unintentional conduct.
The bill’s passage coincides with Police Week, a national recognition of law enforcement officers celebrated annually since President John F. Kennedy. The resolution is just one of several pieces of legislation that House Republicans plan to vote on this week associated with honoring officers.
The House also passed a bill on Wednesday that would allow federal officers to purchase their retired service weapons at a fair market value. That bill passed in a 232-198 vote.
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“This National Police Week, we honor the fallen law enforcement officers who have given up their lives in the name of our safety and protection, and we stand in full support of the brave men and women in blue who continue to make sacrifices for us every single day,” said Rep. Elise Stefank (R-NY), chairwoman of the GOP conference. “As crime continues to reach unprecedented levels resulting from the Radical Left’s extreme, pro-crime agenda, we are reminded now, more than ever, of the importance of fighting against Far Left extremist, anti-police movements.”
The House is also poised to vote on a resolution later this week condemning calls to defund local police. That vote is expected to take place on Thursday.