WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Tim Scott (R-SC), Jim Banks (R-IN), Jim Justice (R-WV), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) today introduced the Justice for American Victims of Illegal Aliens Act, which would codify President Trump’s Executive Order subjecting illegal immigrants who kill American citizens to the death penalty:

“Violent predators who enter our country illegally and brutally murder American citizens should be subject to the death penalty as a consequence of their heinous actions,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By enshrining President Trump’s Executive Order into law, this legislation would protect the American people, make our country safe again, and ensure no future President can singlehandedly undo this consequence for taking innocent lives.”

“This legislation sends a strong message across the globe: we will not tolerate the senseless murder of innocent Americans at the hands of illegal immigrants any longer,” said Sen. Daines. “I’m proud to join Senator Cornyn to take decisive action and support President Trump’s efforts to make our communities safe again.”

“When criminal illegal aliens murder American citizens, they should receive the harshest penalties,” said Sen. Ricketts. “After four years of Biden’s open border policies, measures must be taken to secure our communities. This bill will deter criminals and punish illegal aliens who callously take American lives.”

“Over the past four years, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris welcomed more than 10 million illegal immigrants into this country with open arms,” said Sen. Tuberville. “As a direct result, innocent Americans like Laken Riley and Rachel Morin have lost their lives. It’s simple: if you’re in this country illegally and you murder an American citizen, you should face the death penalty. President Trump has essentially stopped the crisis at our southern border. Republicans in Congress must do our part to ensure no more American blood is shed at the hands of criminals who shouldn’t be here in the first place.”

“The previous administration failed to secure the southern border resulting in the harm and murder of countless innocent Americans. Illegal immigrants who commit the worst of crimes deserve the death penalty,” said Sen. Risch. “President Trump has made it clear: these dangerous criminals have no place in America. I’m proud to join Senator Cornyn in introducing legislation to codify President Trump’s efforts to create a safer America.”

“Illegal immigrants who murder American citizens deserve the death penalty,” said Sen. Banks. “I fully support codifying President Trump’s executive order to ensure these monsters face justice.”

“Protecting the lives of American citizens should be one of our nation’s highest priorities,” said Sen. Crapo. “If an illegal immigrant comes to the United States and commits a capital offense, it is only just that the death penalty should be considered as punishment for such a heinous act.”

“Under the Biden administration’s open-border agenda, illegal immigration surged—and with it, a horrifying rise in violent crimes committed by those who should never have been here in the first place,” said Sen. Tim Scott. “This legislation will help restore the rule of law, protect our communities, and ensure that no more families suffer the kind of unimaginable loss that so many already have.  We owe it to the victims and their families to hold these criminals fully accountable.”

“If you come into this country illegally and murder an American citizen, you should absolutely face the full force of the judicial system,” said Sen. Justice. “There is no gray area, no excuse, and zero tolerance for this kind of evil. I am proud to support this bill because it puts American lives first and ensures the most brutal crimes committed by illegal aliens are met with the strongest punishment under law.”

Background:

Under the Biden administration’s reckless open-border policy and failure to enforce the law, millions of illegal immigrants flooded into the United States, creating the worst immigration crisis in history. After entering the U.S., many illegal immigrants subsequently committed crimes, including violent felonies and murder. For example:

• August 5, 2023 – An illegal immigrant from El Salvador attacked, raped, and murdered 37-year old Rachel Morin, a mother of five, in Bel Air, Maryland. The perpetrator had previously attacked a 9-year old girl and her mother in Los Angeles.
• December 4, 2023 – An illegal immigrant from Mexico stabbed 16-year old Lizbeth Medina to death and left her body in a bath tub in Edna, Texas.
• February 22, 2024 – An illegal immigrant from Venezuela murdered 22-year old Laken Riley as she went for a run in Athens, Georgia.
• March 22, 2024 – An illegal immigrant from Mexico shot and killed 25-year old Ruby Garcia while in her car, then left her body on the side of a highway in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
• June 17, 2024 – Two illegal immigrants from Venezuela kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and strangled 12-year old Jocelyn Nungaray to death in Houston, Texas.
• January 26, 2025 – Two illegal immigrants, one from Ecuador and the other from Venezuela, bound, gagged, and beat 63-year old George Levin to death in Chicago, Illinois.
• March 12, 2025 – An illegal immigrant from Honduras choked 52-year old Camillia Williams, a mother of five and grandmother, to death, then dumped her body in the woods in Marietta, Georgia.

As President Trump highlighted, since America’s founding, capital punishment has been an essential tool for deterring and punishing murder. When illegal immigrants come into the United States and murder law-abiding American citizens, they should face the death penalty. The Justice for American Victims of Illegal Aliens Act would ensure that this deterrent is applied to predators illegally crossing our border and committing violent crimes here.

The Justice for American Victims of Illegal Aliens Act would:

• Amend the Criminal Code to create a new aggravating factor for illegal immigrants who murder U.S. citizens;
• Help direct juries to administer the death penalty when an illegal immigrant murders a U.S. citizen;
• And fully implement and permanently codify President Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025 Executive Order, “Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety,” specifically Section 3(b)(i) of the Executive Order, which states that the “Attorney General shall, where consistent with applicable law, pursue Federal jurisdiction and seek the death penalty regardless of other factors for every federal capital crime involving … [a] capital crime committed by an alien illegally present in this country.”