New Bill Introduced to Stop Undocumented Officers from Carrying Firearms

Senator Ted Budd (R-Ill.) and Representative Mary Miller (R-Ill.) have put forward a new piece of legislation called the Illegal Alien Police Stopping Act. This bill aims to ensure that undocumented individuals can’t possess firearms or ammunition while they’re working in law enforcement roles.

If passed, the legislation would ban undocumented immigrants who hold law enforcement jobs from carrying or receiving any firearms or ammunition provided by local police forces or other government entities. Budd commented, “Illegal aliens have no Second Amendment rights. It’s reckless to arm them with firearms and ammunition while ignoring our immigration laws, especially when taxpayers are footing the bill.”

He further noted that existing federal laws already prevent individuals who enter the U.S. illegally from owning firearms. “It’s important we enforce the same standards for those illegal aliens in local law enforcement,” he added.

Miller echoed these sentiments, expressing concern about policies in states like Illinois which allow undocumented immigrants the authority to carry badges and firearms. “This undermines the integrity of honorable police officers and puts public safety at risk.” She emphasized that “law enforcement authority should be reserved for those who uphold the law, not those who disregard it.”

Growing Support for the Bill

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Lindsey Graham, John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) have also shown their support for the legislation. In the House, a group of over a dozen Republicans, including Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.), Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), have joined as co-sponsors.

Mullin remarked, “It just makes sense. Those already breaking our laws shouldn’t be permitted to have badges or guns. We hold our law enforcement to high standards, and this act aims to reinforce those standards.”

The bill has garnered backing from various organizations such as Gun Owners of America, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, and the Immigrant Responsibility Project.

Supporters point to instances where Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested undocumented individuals employed or training as police officers in states like California, Illinois, Maine, and Louisiana. For example, a law in California passed in 2022 allows non-citizens to become police officers, leading to reports of such hiring practices as recently as 2023, including within the LAPD.

Interestingly, the law does provide exceptions for visiting law enforcement officials and for individuals legally in the U.S. for activities like hunting or shooting competitions.