FIRST ON FOX: Florida's Rep. Matt Gaetz is set to unveil a controversial bill this week aimed at empowering federal judges to award damages to victims harmed by illegal immigrants, a proposal that could redefine the legal landscape for immigration-related offenses.
The bill, dubbed the Allocating Liability to Illegal Entrants in National Courts (ALIEN) Act, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. The 1952 law has undergone many amendments over the years and lays out the legal foundation for U.S. immigration policy, including the procedures for visa issuance, admission, deportation and naturalization.
"The Biden-Harris administration has let in millions of illegals and created a migrant crime epidemic," Gaetz said in a statement. "My legislation, the ALIEN Act, will give federal judges the ability to award restitution to Americans who are victims of harm to person or property from illegals. Americans deserve the possibility of compensation for the pain they endured."
BIDEN'S BORDER CRISIS WREAKING HAVOC ON K-12 SCHOOLS SAYS TOP GOP LAWMAKER
The bill comes as Republicans push for stronger border security ahead of the 2024 election. Former President Trump, the party's presidential candidate, has long advocated for stricter security at the southern border and said he would initiate mass deportations to address the crisis if elected in November.
Some illegal immigrants have been accused of committing heinous crimes against Americans in the last few years, a point that Republicans have blamed on the Biden-Harris administration's weak border policies.
According to local news outlets and the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee, an illegal Venezuelan migrant with suspected gang ties who has allegedly committed 22 crimes in six months in New York City still hasn't been deported.
In June, a 12-year-old Houston girl, Jocelyn Nungaray, was allegedly strangled to death by two illegal immigrants from Venezuela. Earlier this year, the high-profile killing of 22-year-old Georgia college student Laken Riley also sparked outrage among Republican lawmakers.
"This is going to get worse under a Kamala-Walz administration," said Brandon Judd of the National Border Patrol Council. "They've already made the decision that they care more about their base of support than the safety and security of the American people and that’s why we are seeing this crisis. It angers every single Border Patrol agent."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection data also shows there's been an uptick in criminal illegal migrants attempting to cross the southern border and apprehended by agents since 2021 – roughly 13,000 – in Fiscal Year 2024.
Migrants were found to have been previously convicted of assault, battery, domestic violence, manslaughter, homicide or sexual offenses.
Border apprehensions had been declining before Fiscal Year 2021, data also shows.
Fox News Digital's Rebecca Rosenberg and Ashley Papa contributed to this report.
