Staff Reports
In recent news, it has been noted that almost 15 million individuals who are currently in the United States unlawfully or have entered the country illegally are on a list maintained by the FBI that prevents them from purchasing firearms. However, there is no requirement for the National Instant Criminal Background Check system to inform immigration authorities if one of these 14.8 million individuals attempts to buy a gun. Due to this, a new legislation has been proposed to address this issue.
Bill would alert immigration when non-citizen tries to buy guns – Washington Examiner https://t.co/T70bt5O4PG
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The legislation, known as the Illegal Alien NICS Alert Act, has been introduced by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, a representative from North Carolina, and Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton. Some of their fellow Republican senators, including John Boozman of Arkansas, Joni Ernst of Iowa and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, have also joined in this effort. This legislation aims to ensure that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local law enforcement are notified when individuals in the country illegally try to purchase a firearm.
Sen. Cotton emphasized the importance of enforcing the law, stating that those who enter the United States unlawfully should be detained and deported, and certainly should not have the ability to buy a gun. He further mentioned that the bill is necessary to guarantee that the appropriate authorities are alerted when an illegal immigrant attempts to obtain a firearm.
Additionally, it was revealed that since November 30, 1998, the background check system has denied over 49,000 attempted firearms purchases made by individuals in the country illegally. Despite this, the FBI is not mandated to notify immigration authorities or law enforcement about these individuals.
Sen. Lummis expressed her lack of confidence in the current administration’s ability to restrict illegal entry into the country and prevent those individuals from illegally obtaining firearms. This legislation represents a proactive measure to ensure that individuals who are in the country unlawfully do not have access to firearms, and to notify the appropriate authorities if they attempt to do so.
This proposed legislation reflects the Republican lawmakers’ commitment to strengthening immigration and firearms laws in the United States, in order to uphold the rule of law and protect the safety and security of American citizens.
