Justice for American Victims Act

Summary#

This bill would change federal criminal law (title 18) to add a new aggravating factor that a court or jury may consider when deciding whether to impose the death penalty. The new factor applies when the defendant is an alien who (A) came to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of federal law, and (B) has been convicted of killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill a United States citizen.

What it means for you#

• In federal capital cases, a defendant's unlawful immigration status and a conviction for killing (or trying to kill or conspiring to kill) a U.S. citizen could be presented as an additional aggravating factor for sentencing.
• The bill affects how sentencing decisions are made in death-penalty cases; it does not itself change which crimes are punishable by death.
• No publicly available information on how often this factor would be used or which cases it would affect.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on costs, budget effects, or related expenses.

Proponents' View#

Sponsors listed for the measure include Senators John Cornyn, Jim Banks, Mike Crapo, Steve Daines, Pete Ricketts, James Risch, Tim Scott, Tommy Tuberville, James Justice, Thomas Tillis, Marsha Blackburn, Bill Hagerty, Ted Budd, and Katie Britt. No publicly available information on their specific public statements or detailed arguments in support of the bill.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information on opponents' statements, criticisms, or objections to this bill.