U.S. Senator Katie Britt Continues Efforts to Protect Border Patrol Agents, Local Law Enforcement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act. Their legislation would make it a crime to flee from agents or officers in the performance of their duties.

“Our border patrol agents and law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every single day to protect our nation, and we owe it to them to ensure they have the tools and resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively,” said Senator Britt. “This legislation honors Agent Gonzalez who sacrificed his life to protect American citizens, and would help ensure this kind of tragedy does not happen to another agent or officer keeping our families and communities safe.”

The Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act is named in honor of a Border Patrol agent who died in the line of duty while pursuing a group of illegal aliens near Mission, Texas. This bill would permanently prohibit any illegal alien who flees from Border Patrol from ever receiving any legal immigration status in the United States.

“This legislation honors the sacrifice of Agent Raul Gonzalez, Jr., who lost his life pursuing individuals evading capture. It sends a clear message that if you endanger American lives, you will face serious consequences. This bill is a critical step toward protecting our communities and ensuring criminals can no longer exploit past failures,” said Senator Cruz.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that any person who flees from Border Patrol, or law enforcement assisting Border Patrol, would face up to two years in prison. If someone is injured during pursuit, the sentencing range would increase from 5 to 20 years. Finally, if death results from the pursuit, the defendant could face up to life in prison. The legislation also requires the Department of Justice to report to Congress about how often they are prosecuting illegal aliens for violating the proposed act.

Companion legislation, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), recently passed by a vote of 264-155.

The Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act is the latest of several immigration bills supported by Senator Britt to make America safe again. Last month, Senator Britt’s S.5, the Laken Riley Act, became President Donald Trump’s first bill signed into law. This legislation included an amendment mirroring Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) Sarah’s Law, and a provision mirroring Senator John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) POLICE ACT, which expanded the list of criminal offenses covered by the bill to include assault of a law enforcement officer.

On the passage of the Laken Riley Act, Senator Britt said, “This is an incredible first step toward making America safe again, and I will continue fighting to strengthen border security and interior immigration enforcement.”

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