Joco Today

U.S. Senators Roger Marshall and Joni Ernst are advocating for Sarah’s Law, a legislative effort named in memory of Sarah Root, a 21-year-old woman who was killed by an illegal immigrant driving under the influence. The proposed law aims to address a gap in federal legislation that allowed Root's alleged killer to be released by federal authorities.

Sarah’s Law seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by mandating U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal immigrants charged with crimes resulting in death or serious injury. Additionally, it requires ICE to make reasonable efforts to identify victims and inform their families when encountering such individuals.

The initiative is supported by several other senators including Chuck Grassley, Katie Britt, James Lankford, Kevin Cramer, Bill Hagerty, Tim Scott, Ted Cruz, Ted Budd, Mike Crapo, Steve Daines, John Cornyn, Jerry Moran, Bill Cassidy, Lindsey Graham, Deb Fischer, Tim Sheehy, Jim Risch, John Curtis, Rick Scott, Pete Ricketts, Mike Rounds, Shelley Moore Capito and John Kennedy.

This bill is intended to work alongside the Laken Riley Act in closing legal loopholes that have led to crimes against Americans by illegal immigrants.