The 2016 U.S. presidential election to a great extent also served as a referendum on immigration policy. President-elect Donald Trump fiercely campaigned on a platform of crushing illegal immigration and protecting the safety and security of Americans. Hillary Clinton echoed the so-called political correctness of President Barack Obama and took the same soft, if not utterly condonable, attitude towards immigrants, illegals included.
With Trump at the helm ready to wage war against illegal immigration and a Republican-dominated Congress, proponents of a piece of legislation which targets undocumented immigrants who illegally return to the U.S. after being deported are optimistic now is the perfect opportunity to have the bill passed.
The proposed legislation is called Kate's Law named after Kate Steinle, a young Californian woman who was brutally shot and killed by an illegal immigrant felon Juan Lopez-Sanchez, while leisurely walking with her father on a pier in San Francisco in 2015. Lopez-Sanchez reportedly returned to the country after being deported.
Kate's Law, if passed, would impose a minimum five-year federal prison service on those who illegally return after deportation.
The legislative piece passed last year in the House of Representatives but unfortunately was filibustered by Democrats in the Senate. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx) and U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-IA) reintroduced the bill last week. Supporters of the bill believe it has greater chances of being passed in Congress now, and that it would be apt for Trump to sign it into law given his strong stance against illegal immigration.
Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer said that he cannot imagine a logical argument against Kate's Law while Fox News anchor and attorney Gregg Jarrett expressed his belief that the law would serve as a serious deterrent against illegal immigrants with criminal records from going back to the U.S. to potentially commit new crimes.
Krauthammer also added that the retirement of former Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid ( D-Nev.) is a good sign that Kate's Law will have better chances of making it this time.
The columnist said that aside from Kate's Law, it is also important to see other anti- illegal immigration measures take place like cutting off federal funding to sanctuary cities, building a " barrier" on the Mexican border and further implementing e-verify.
