GOP bill seeks to block illegal immigrants from being armed law enforcement

Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., introduced the Stop Illegal Alien Cops Act, a bicameral bill aimed at preventing individuals who are in the United States illegally from possessing firearms or ammunition while employed as law enforcement officers.

The legislation would prohibit illegal immigrants working in law enforcement roles from receiving or carrying firearms and ammunition issued by government entities, such as local police departments.

"Illegal aliens have no Second Amendment rights," Budd wrote in a statement. "It is irresponsible for police departments to arm illegal aliens who have blatantly ignored our immigration laws with firearms and ammunition, let alone on the taxpayers' dime.

"Federal law already prohibits those who enter our country illegally from possessing firearms, and it's time we ensure illegal aliens working at local police departments are held to the same legal standard."

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"Sanctuary policies in states like Illinois have gone so far as to allow illegal aliens to wear the badge and carry a firearm," Miller wrote in a statement. "That is a disgrace to every honorable officer and a threat to public safety.

"Law enforcement authority must be reserved for those who respect and uphold our laws, not those who are in violation of them," she added.

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Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., joined Budd in introducing the measure in the Senate. In the House, more than a dozen Republicans signed on as co-sponsors, including Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Clay Higgins, R-La., Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.

"This is common sense: Illegal aliens who have already broken our nation's laws should certainly not be carrying a badge or a firearm," Mullin wrote in a statement. "We hold our brave men and women in law enforcement to the highest standards and the Stop Illegal Alien Cops Act will only bolster those standards."

The bill has been endorsed by Gun Owners of America, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the Federation for American Immigration Reform and the Immigration Accountability Project.

Supporters cited recent cases in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested individuals alleged to be in the country illegally who were serving or training as police officers in California, Illinois, Maine and Louisiana. In 2022, California enacted a law permitting noncitizens to become police officers, and reports indicated that several such hires occurred in 2023, including within the Los Angeles Police Department.

The legislation includes exceptions for visiting foreign law enforcement officers and for individuals lawfully admitted to the U.S. for activities such as hunting trips or shooting competitions.