Cornyn Announces Bill to Hold Countries Accountable for Refusing to Repatriate Dangerous Foreign Nationals

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), and I have introduced the Remedies for Refusal of Repatriation Act, or “Casey’s Law.” Named for a Connecticut resident who was murdered by a Haitian criminal who was not deported after his release from prison, Casey’s Law would establish clear criteria to identify and hold accountable countries that systematically refuse or delay the repatriation of their citizens who have been convicted of a violent crime, or who pose a threat to public safety.

Illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes should not be left on our streets, and if other countries won’t cooperate in taking them back there should be consequences. I thank Senator Blumenthal for working with me to address this ongoing problem and keep our country safe from dangerous individuals who shouldn’t be here.

Background on “Casey’s Law”

The Remedies for Refusal of Repatriation Act, or “Casey’s Law,” ensures that when countries put Americans at risk by refusing to accept deported criminals, those countries are held accountable. The bill would require that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) establish procedures to determine whether a foreign country systematically and unreasonably refuses or delays the repatriation of nationals who are in the United States, and have been convicted of a felony or crime of violence, or are a threat to national security or public safety. Once it has been established that a country meets this criteria, DHS and the State Department would then notify their government that the United States may deny visas to their citizens.

DHS and State would also publish this information on their website, so that the public is fully informed about which countries systematically refuse and delay repatriation of their citizens. The legislation also requires an annual report to Congress identifying those countries that systematically refuse or delay repatriation of its citizens and describing the actions taken by those agencies in response.