Roos’ Bill Aims at Illegal Aliens, Drugs

Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Mike Roos picked drug-infested MacArthur Park as the site to unveil a bill Friday that would make it a felony for deported illegal aliens convicted of serious crimes in the United States to re-enter the country.

The Los Angeles Democrat, who said he is introducing the bill in an effort to battle narcotics trafficking, said the nation’s drug problem is aggravated by “hundreds” of illegal aliens who deal in narcotics.

“These criminals, who are a very small minority of undocumented persons living in our state, are, nevertheless contributing to the illegal drug trafficking and serious drug-related crimes,” Roos said at a news conference. The bill, which has yet to be introduced in the Assembly, would require state, local and immigration officials to keep track of convicted aliens to ensure they are deported.