Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced legislation on Wednesday aimed at accelerating the deportation of aliens convicted of crimes, making any noncitizen convicted of a felony or two misdemeanors automatically deportable.
The Deportation Acceleration Act would expand expedited removal authority and tighten cooperation requirements between federal, state, and local governments.
Cotton said that the bill is intended to prioritize public safety and remove criminal offenders more quickly.
"Migrants who threaten the safety of Arkansans by not respecting our laws don't belong here," Cotton said in a statement. "My bill will ensure these criminals are swiftly deported."
Under the legislation, state and local law enforcement agencies would be required to report all criminal convictions of noncitizens to the Department of Homeland Security within 24 hours.
DHS would then be required to initiate removal proceedings immediately for individuals who meet the bill's expanded deportation criteria.
The bill would also broaden the use of expedited removal to include any noncitizen convicted of a felony or two misdemeanors, lowering the current threshold, which is largely limited to aggravated felonies.
In addition, it would shorten the appeal window for most removal cases from 180 days to 30 days and require immigration courts to prioritize cases involving criminal convictions.
Cotton's proposal includes penalties for so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, allowing the secretary of transportation to withhold a portion of federal highway funds from states or localities that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
At the same time, it would authorize grant funding for jurisdictions that fully comply with immigration detainers and information-sharing requirements.
The legislation comes as congressional Republicans push for tougher immigration enforcement measures and increased cooperation from local governments, though the bill is expected to face strong opposition from Democrats and immigrant advocacy groups.
The measure was referred for further consideration, with no immediate timeline set for a vote.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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