Lawmakers tout benefits of Singh’s Law

A group of lawmakers recently introduced Singh’s Law, a measure designed to prevent known gang members and those convicted of dangerous crimes from entering the country.

Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) recently introduced the legislation, which is named in honor of Cpl. Ronil Singh, a police officer in Newman, Calif., who was killed on Dec. 26, 2018.

An illegal immigrant with known gang affiliations and two prior DUI arrests has been charged with murdering Singh.

“We cannot allow dangerous illegal immigrants with known gang affiliations to enter or remain in the United States,” Tillis said. “This much-needed legislation will provide law enforcement with more tools and resources to combat criminal gangs and help keep American communities, both immigrant and native-born, safe.”

The bill would disqualify criminals with known gang associations from taking advantage of immigration laws and receiving immigration benefits while also creating a $200 million federal grant to law enforcement agencies to combat dangerous and violent criminal gangs.

“Cpl. Ronil Singh immigrated to America legally, started a family, and ultimately gave his life in the line of duty as a law-enforcement officer,” Cotton said. “Cpl. Singh was the embodiment of the American dream. He was shot dead the day after Christmas by an illegal-alien gang member, leaving behind his wife and five-month-old son. Corporal Singh is dead because we failed to secure our border and enforce our immigration laws. This bill is our attempt to honor Corporal Singh’s vast sacrifice and ensure our communities are better protected from illegal-alien gang members.”