Press Releases

WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 4371, the Kayla Hamilton Act, which closes dangerous loopholes that allowed unaccompanied alien children (UACs) with criminal or gang affiliations, including MS-13 ties, to exploit the system under President Biden. It also ensures future administrations cannot repeat the reckless Biden-era policies that endangered Americans and left thousands of vulnerable children exposed to trafficking, exploitation, and disappearance.

“The tragedy that took the life of Kayla Hamilton was a senseless and predictable consequence of President Biden’s wide-open border and dangerous, morally indefensible policies,” Speaker Johnson said. “The Kayla Hamilton Act puts an end to this madness so no future administration can make such reckless decisions. House Republicans worked to honor Kayla’s memory today with the passage of this bill and our efforts will continue to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again.”

“The murder of Kayla Hamilton was a tragedy and entirely preventable,” Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s radical open-borders policies failed to protect American communities and allowed dangerous MS-13 gang members to roam our streets. The Kayla Hamilton Act puts public safety first, restores accountability, and protects American citizens.”

“Kayla’s story is heartbreaking, and it exposed a catastrophic failure in our federal system,” Congressman Russell Fry said. “This bill is not about politics—it is about learning from a preventable tragedy and making sure the federal government never again releases a known gang-affiliated individual into an American community without basic safeguards. Kayla Hamilton should still be alive, and no child should ever be placed in harm’s way or subjected to exploitation because the government failed to do its job. Kayla was a vibrant young woman with a future, and her life mattered. By passing the Kayla Hamilton Act in the House, we are taking a decisive step to protect families, ensure children are placed with safe sponsors, and prevent tragedies like this from ever happening again.”

Background:

On July 27, 2022, 20-year-old Kayla Hamilton was brutally raped and murdered by Walter Javier Martinez, an illegal alien and known MS-13 gang member released into the U.S. under President Biden without background checks. Authorities were unaware of Martinez’s criminal history in El Salvador and MS-13 gang ties until after his arrest, when he admitted to four murders, two rapes, and other serious crimes.

Investigations found that the Biden Administration failed to properly screen UACs, ignored warning signs, silenced whistleblowers, and prioritized rapid UACs placement over the safety of Americans and vulnerable children. President Biden’s open border and broader systemic failures contributed to the exploitation, trafficking, and disappearance of thousands of unaccompanied children.

H.R. 4371 — The Kayla Hamilton Act (Sponsored by Rep. Russell Fry): closes dangerous loopholes in the federal government’s handling of unaccompanied alien children (UACs), restores oversight and accountability, and ensures tragedies like Kayla Hamilton’s murder never happen again. The Kayla Hamilton Act, HERE. The 2023 House Judiciary Committee Full Interim Report on the Murder of Kayla Hamilton, HERE.