Dear Friend, 

While President Trump and law enforcement officials work to deport criminal illegal immigrants from our communities, we can and must do more to stand behind them.

Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act to do just that. In recent years, cartels and human smuggling rings have recruited drivers to transport illegal immigrants into American communities. These drivers routinely flee from Customs and Border Protection officials, leading to high-speed chases that too often result in serious injuries and deaths among law enforcement officers and innocent bystanders.

The Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, which passed the House of Representatives with our support, establishes a federal criminal penalty for individuals who evade Border Patrol agents and creates escalating legal penalties when their evasion results in serious bodily injury or death.

Just recently, an illegal immigrant from South Sudan with a homicide conviction was arrested by ICE in St. Paul. Another illegal immigrant from Mexico, with a previous conviction for sexual misconduct, was also recently arrested by ICE St. Paul.

Additionally, the Department of Justice just announced convictions of two dangerous Mexican nationals who committed heinous crimes in Minnesota. One was sentenced to 27 years in prison after targeting more than 60 minor girls in an online sextortion scheme; the other was a member of a Mexican cartel who was convicted of meth trafficking and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

As law enforcement officers continue working to remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities, protections like the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act are more important than ever. Rest assured, our office will continue supporting the brave men and women of Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and law enforcement officers across Minnesota.

Sincerely,