'Serious consequences': Ted Cruz delivers strong warning to illegal immigrants fleeing Border Patrol

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FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is launching a new push to target illegal immigrants who flee from law enforcement — named after a Border Patrol agent killed pursuing illegal aliens.

Cruz is reintroducing the Senate version of the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act.

The bill is named after Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez, who was killed in a vehicle crash in Texas in 2022 while pursuing illegal immigrants. The bill would make failure to yield to a Border Patrol agent a felony punishable by up to two years in prison.

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Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.  (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

If a Border Patrol agent sustains injuries during a vehicle pursuit of an illegal migrant, the offender may receive a sentence ranging from a minimum of five years to a maximum of 20 years in prison. In cases where an agent loses their life during the pursuit, the bill prescribes a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, extending to a potential life sentence. Each of these offenses also may carry a fine of up to $250,000.

It further requires that the Department of Justice report to Congress about how often they are prosecuting illegal aliens for endangering Border Patrol agents.

"This legislation honors the sacrifice of Agent Raul Gonzalez, Jr., who lost his life pursuing individuals evading capture," Cruz said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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A U.S. Border Patrol agent stands on a cliff looking for migrants that crossed the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico near the city of Sasabe, Arizona, Sunday, January 23, 2022.  (Salwan Georges/Washington Post via Getty Images)

"It sends a clear message that if you endanger American lives, you will face serious consequences," he said. "This bill is a critical step toward protecting our communities and ensuring criminals can no longer exploit past failures."

The bill has been reintroduced in the House by Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz.

It’s one of a slew of bills being introduced or re-introduced in Congress now that there is GOP control of both chambers and a new mood in Washington that appears to be more receptive of stiffer consequences for illegal immigration, with the Trump administration launching a massive border security and anti-illegal immigration crackdown.

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Congress passed the Laken Riley Act in January, which mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants accused of theft-related offenses. President Donald Trump would sign the bill later in January.

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Cruz, meanwhile, reintroduced the "Justice for Jocelyn" Act, which would require that every ICE detention bed be filled before any releases of illegal immigrants into the interior. It is named after Jocelyn Nungaray, who was allegedly murdered by two illegal immigrants.

Fox News' Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.