North Charlotte Today

Senators Thom Tillis, Tom Cotton, Joni Ernst, Cynthia Lummis, and John Boozman have recently introduced the Illegal Alien NICS Alert Act, a bill aimed at notifying authorities when illegal immigrants attempt to purchase firearms. The legislation would require the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to inform U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local law enforcement in such cases.

Senator Tillis emphasized the importance of the National Instant Criminal Background Check system in preventing firearms from ending up in the wrong hands. He stated, “It is already against the law for an illegal immigrant to purchase a firearm, and this legislation would notify the appropriate authorities when an illegal immigrant tries to break the law.”

The background check process involves Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) contacting the NICS to ensure that the buyer is eligible to purchase a firearm. Currently, the FBI's list of prohibited persons includes 14.8 million illegal immigrants, but NICS is not mandated to alert immigration authorities about an individual's illegal status.

Since November 30, 1998, NICS has denied 49,411 attempted firearm purchases by illegal immigrants. The full text of the bill can be accessed on the official website.

This bill aims to address the issue of illegal immigrants attempting to purchase firearms by ensuring that relevant authorities are promptly notified in such situations.