Rep. Troy E. Nehls and Sen. Ted Cruz Reintroduce the Justice for Jocelyn Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22) and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) reintroduced the bicameral Justice for Jocelyn Act. This legislation would improve the detention and tracking of illegal aliens entering the United States. 

“The Venezuelan illegal aliens who murdered 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray should have never been released into our country,” said Congressman Nehls. “I am proud to reintroduce the Justice for Jocelyn Act alongside Senator Ted Cruz to ensure tragedies like the death of Jocelyn never happen again. Congress must put the safety of the American people first by swiftly passing this legislation and getting it to President Trump’s desk as soon as possible.” 

“Last year, I began the fight for justice for 12-year-old Jocelyn,” said Senator Cruz. “The aliens responsible for her murder crossed the southern border illegally and should have been detained by ICE. Democrats’ reckless open-border policies prevented ICE and Border Patrol agents from acting, left thousands of detention center beds empty, and allowed these criminals to go free. Congress should act with urgency to ensure no other American family ever has to endure what Jocelyn’s mother, Alexis Nungaray, has been forced to face. Standing alongside Alexis in this fight for justice has been an immense privilege, and I will not stop fighting until our communities are safe and justice is served.”

The Justice for Jocelyn Act would: 

• Crackdown on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Alternative to Detention (ATD) program by requiring every Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention bed to be filled, and if filled, would require the DHS Secretary to exhaust all reasonable efforts to keep an alien in custody. Should the Secretary release an alien pursuant to ATD, the alien would be subject to GPS monitoring for the entire duration of their immigration proceedings, including appeals, or until their removal.
• Require immigration judges to order an alien removed upon showing an ICE attorney that an alien has violated a release order, regardless of whether that alien is present at the removal hearing. 

Cosponsors of the Justice for Jocelyn Act include Congressman Wesley Hunt (R-TX-38) and Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05). 

In the Senate, Senator Cruz is joined by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Tedd Budd (R-NC), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA). 

Background

Congressman Nehls and Senator Ted Cruz first introduced the bicameral Justice for Jocelyn Act in July 2024. 

On June 17, 2024, Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl from Houston, Texas, was brutally assaulted and murdered by two illegal aliens from Venezuela. Both illegal aliens were enrolled in DHS’s ATD program, meaning they were released into the interior of the United States despite ICE detention beds being available. One of the suspects was wearing an ICE GPS monitor at the time of Jocelyn’s assault and murder.  

Read the bill text HERE.