[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 4658-4659]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 TAKE YOUR CRIMINALS BACK OR LOSE VISAS

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Florida Police Officer Andrew Widman 
was

[[Page 4659]]

murdered, shot in the face while trying to resolve a dispute. His death 
was preventable, however. The murderer of Officer Widman was an illegal 
immigrant and convicted felon. He did not belong here. He should have 
been sent back home to his native country, Cuba, after he served his 
sentence, but Cuba would not take him back.
  Cuba is one of about 30 countries that refuse to take back their 
convicted citizens after they are legally ordered deported. Then, 
unfortunately, they are released back on our streets to commit more 
crimes. These days need to end. No more get-out-of-jail-free cards. 
There must be consequences to these nations that flaunt our laws.
  My bill, the Timely Repatriation Act, restricts diplomatic visas to 
countries that deny or delay the repatriation of a foreign national 
whose removal has been legally ordered.
  Take your criminals back or lose diplomatic visas.
  And that is just the way it is.

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