Last January, Katie Abraham and Chloe Polzin, two college students in Illinois, were killed in a hit-and-run crash by Julio Cucul-Bol, an illegal alien from Guatemala who was driving drunk. Katie was just 20 years old. Her dad described her as “intelligent,” “so funny, so witty,” and someone who “had this way of bringing people in and making them feel seen.” Because of Julio Cucul-Bol, Mr. Abraham will never be able to walk his daughter down the aisle.
Nearly the same age, Chloe celebrated her 21st birthday just one week before the fatal crash. An avid swimmer who competed in the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics, she had a zeal for travel and enjoyed volunteering. As an organ donor, Chloe was able to save five lives, and I hope it’s a comfort to her family knowing that Chloe’s heart beats on.
Across our country, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters are having to bury family, friends, and loved ones who’ve died at the hands of criminal aliens who never should have been allowed in our country in the first place. It doesn’t have to be this way.
That is why I introduced the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act to help keep Americans safe while driving on our roads. My bill would ensure that aliens who drive drunk and kill or seriously maim someone can be arrested, detained, and removed from the United States as aggravated felons. Specifically, any illegal alien who is convicted of a DWI or DUI that results in death or serious bodily injury of another individual would face mandatory detention and could be sentenced up to 20 years in prison for attempting illegal re-entry into the United States.
Furthermore, the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act permanently bars these monsters from receiving legal status in the future. It’s not enough to simply deport these criminal aliens; we must stop them from ever entering our country again. No longer can the United States continue the status quo of allowing illegal aliens who drive drunk to endanger innocent lives. Anyone who dares to try will be met with the full wrath of the American justice system and shown zero mercy.
The sobering and ugly truth is that the tragedies of Katie, Chloe, Laken Riley, Kayla Hamilton, Jocelyn Nungaray, and so many others could have been prevented if the Biden administration simply enforced the law. Instead, President Biden’s careless open-border policies, including his Operation Allies Welcome program and other Biden-era parole programs created in an end-run around Congress, opened the flood gates for hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens to waltz into the United States.
Thanks to President Trump, we’ve already seen incredible progress towards holding these despicable individuals accountable. Last October, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem highlighted more than 140 illegal alien truck drivers who were arrested during Operation Midway Blitz. These aliens were found guilty of numerous crimes, from driving under the influence, to drug trafficking, child abuse, and more. As I continue working with the Trump administration, we will combat the crisis that President Biden created.
As the father of two daughters, I know firsthand that there are few moments in life as scary as handing your 16-year-old a pair of car keys. The world is a dangerous place, but our roads can be safer if we pass the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act. My message to potential offenders is clear: If you enter the country illegally and harm innocent citizens, we will find you, we will punish you, and we will make sure you never step foot on American soil again.
John Cornyn represents Texas in the United States Senate. Cornyn serves on the Senate Finance, Judiciary, Intelligence, Foreign Relations, and Budget Committees. He received his undergraduate degree from Trinity University, his law degree from St. Mary’s School of Law, and his LLM from the University of Virginia Law School.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public/Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 4.0)
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