This week the U.S. House passed Congressman Juan Ciscomani’s (AZ-06) commonsense legislation to impose federal penalties on individuals who engage in high-speed car chases with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents or law enforcement officers assisting CBP within 100 miles of the border.
The Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act (H.R. 35), which is named in honor of a Border Patrol agent killed during a high-speed chase in 2022, makes failure to yield a federal crime and imposes a life sentence if anyone is killed during the apprehension. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is leading a companion bill in the Senate.
H.R. 35 passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support by a vote of 264 – 155.
“In Cochise County, high-speed car chases by cartel members, human smugglers, and other bad actors jeopardize the safety of our Customs and Border Protection agents, local law enforcement officials, and residents alike,” said Congressman Ciscomani. “For far too long, these individuals have not faced federal consequences for their actions that often end in tragedy, as it did for Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez in 2022 and innocent bystanders along the border. This bill delivers a clear message to anyone who endangers our community that they will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. I thank House Republican leadership for bringing this bill to the floor so quickly and am glad that my House colleagues on both sides of the aisle understand the necessity of this legislation. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to quickly consider this legislation to bring it one step closer to President Trump signing this critical legislation into law.”
In December 2022, Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez Jr. tragically died in the line of duty while chasing down illegal aliens who were fleeing the scene of a crime.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said H.R. 35 is critical to protecting America’s border communities.
“The Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act to hold illegal aliens accountable who commit a crime and intentionally evade federal officers while driving. It makes them inadmissible to, and removable from, our country and bars them from immigration relief, including asylum.. This bill delivers a strong message: those who cross our borders illegally and jeopardize the safety of our officers will face severe criminal and immigration penalties. Republicans will continue to take decisive action and echo President Trump’s leadership to deliver what is necessary to protect the American people and secure our borders.”
Please call your U.S. senators & ask them to support H.R. 35, Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act. SENATE SWITCHBOARD (202) 224-3121.
