“Illegal aliens by definition have already broken our laws once they enter our country, yet unbelievably many who are convicted of additional crimes in our country are still not deported,” Luetkemeyer said. “This commonsense legislation will make sure that they are deported, not subsidized in taxpayer funded jails.”

The One Strike Act is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite. This Act would amend immigration law so that any illegal immigrant convicted of a crime that carries a sentence would go straight to the front of the line and immediately be designated for deportation. Today, a crime committed by an illegal is not considered a “removable offense” unless it meets certain criteria, one of which is that the offense is defined as an “aggravated felony”. The Act amends the definition of “aggravated felony” to include: “any offense for which a sentence can be imposed”.

Luetkemeyer pointed to a recent incident in his district that highlights the potential consequences of illegal immigration. According to media reports, an illegal immigrant who lived and worked Hannibal for three years was arrested on February 28 after telling police he killed two people. The illegal immigrant had several previous run-ins with law enforcement, but his immigration status was never questioned.