Texas Rep. Troy E. Nehls (R) and Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) have collaborated on introducing bicameral legislation. Rep. Nehls and Senator Cruz have introduced the Justice for Jocelyn Act, which would improve the detention and tracking of illegal aliens entering the United States.
Jocelyn Nungaray was a 12-year-old girl from Houston, Texas, who was assaulted and murdered by two illegal aliens from Venezuela on June 17th, 2024. The assailants were enrolled in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alternative to Detention (ATD) program, which means that they were released into the United States despite Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention beds being available.
One of the assailants was reportedly wearing an ICE GPS monitor during the assault and murder, and the other assailant was reportedly allowed to remove his ICE GPS monitor after 21 days.
Because of this, Rep. Nehls and Senator Cruz want every available ICE detention bed to be filled. After the beds are filled, their legislation would require that the Secretary of DHS would exhaust all reasonable efforts to keep illegal aliens in custody. If an alien is released pursuant to ATD, the alien would be subject to GPS monitoring for the entire duration of their immigration proceedings, which includes appeals, or until their removal. As well, immigration judges would be required to order the removal of an alien upon a showing by an ICE attorney that the alien has violated his/her release order, regardless of the alien being present at the removal hearing.
In a statement, Rep. Nehls said that the tragic death of Jocelyn "was entirely preventable," and he attributed it to the Biden Administration. "Without serious reforms, American families will continue to lose family members and loved ones at the hands of illegal aliens," he added. "Enough is enough."
Senator Cruz echoed in his remarks, noting that "the illegal aliens charged with murdering her should have been held in ICE custody, but they were allowed into the U.S. despite the availability of thousands of open detention center beds." "No parent should have to feel the anguish that Jocelyn's mother Alexis is suffering."
Alexis Nungaray, Jocelyn's mother, also commented on the legislation, affirming that the "Justice for Jocelyn Act would have prevented Jocelyn's death." "It would have prevented her two murderers from being on the street and it would have meant that Jocelyn would be here with us today."
