Sioux City Times

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, with support from U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull). The legislation honors Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez, Jr., who lost his life while pursuing illegal immigrants in Texas.

The bill aims to enforce criminal and immigration penalties on individuals, particularly drug traffickers and illegal immigrants, who evade border patrol agents or other law enforcement officials during high-speed pursuits within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Rep. Feenstra stated, "Drug traffickers and illegal immigrants who threaten the lives of our border patrol agents must be detained, prosecuted, and imprisoned. That includes evading law enforcement officers at our border on high-speed chases." He further added that this legislation is in memory of Agent Gonzalez to hold dangerous illegal immigrants accountable for their actions.

Under this act, illegal immigrants convicted of crimes related to high-speed pursuits could face deportation and up to two years in prison. If such incidents result in serious injury to a border patrol agent or an American citizen, offenders could receive five to twenty years in federal prison. In cases where these pursuits lead to death, the sentence would range from ten years to life imprisonment.

Rep. Feenstra emphasized that passing this bill sends a message against lawlessness that endangers border patrol agents' lives.