Public Safety director, Mark Prosser, says the Storm Lake Police Department supports the Kerrie Orozco Act, and joined nearly 65 other law enforcement leaders in penning a letter to U.S. Senate leadership, urging them to pass the legislation. The bill, which passed through the House last September, would permit a surviving spouse, child or parent of a U.S. citizen first responder who died in service to be eligible to obtain U.S. citizenship through an expedited process. The letter says that first responders sometime make the ultimate sacrifice and this is a way to honor their memory by allowing close family members to naturalize quickly. Giving them the ability to find stability through a very difficult time. “Losing a loved one in the line of duty is difficult enough without the additional burdens of a long immigration process. We urge Senators to support this act and pass the bill before the end of this year,” the letter says. Kerrie Orozco was 29 years old when she died in the line of duty. The Walnut native was an officer with the Omaha, Neb. Police Department and on May 20, 2015, was attempting to arrest a convicted felon when he fired at the officers. Orozco was just one day away from taking a delayed maternity leave to care for her daughter who was born premature.
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