EXCLUSIVE: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is planning to introduce a bill that would enshrine into law President Donald Trump's executive order to rename a national park after a 12-year-old Houston girl allegedly killed by two illegal immigrants. 

The bill is being brought forward by Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, to make it more difficult for future administrations, Republican or Democrat, to change the name of the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge.

"Jocelyn Nungaray was taken from this world far too soon at the hands of brutal killers who were in the U.S. illegally due to President Biden’s open-border policies, and her legacy deserves to live on forever," Cornyn told Fox News Digital. "I am proud to lead this legislation alongside Congressman Babin to ensure President Trump’s renaming of this sanctuary to the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge is made permanent."

JOCELYN NUNGARAY MURDER: HOUSTON PROSECUTORS SEEK ICE, CBP RECORDS ON ILLEGAL ACCUSED OF CHILD KILLING

During his joint address to Congress in March, Trump announced the renaming of the 39,000-acre sanctuary, formerly known as the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, along the Texas Gulf Coast. 

In April, officials held a renaming ceremony for the park.

"One thing I have learned about Jocelyn is that she loved animals so much. She loved nature. Across Galveston Bay, from where Jocelyn lived in Houston, you will find a magnificent national wildlife refuge, a pristine, peaceful, 34,000-acre sanctuary for all of God's creatures on the edge of the Gulf of America," Trump said during his address. 

The bill would codify the park's new name into law, making the process to change it more difficult. 

"The heartbreaking murder of Jocelyn Nungaray shook our community to its core, and it never should have happened," Babin said in a statement. "Today, we are introducing legislation to honor Jocelyn’s life and to send a clear message: securing our border and restoring the rule of law is not optional, it’s essential. President Trump’s leadership is making America safe again, and we are proud to stand with him to ensure that no family ever has to endure such a tragedy again."

"Honoring Jocelyn isn’t a Republican or Democrat issue — it’s an American issue," he added. 

ELYN NUNGARAY'S MOTHER REVEALS HORRIFIC TIMELINE OF DAUGHTER'S MURDER IN HEARING ON OPEN-BORDER CRIME

"Ms. Nungaray loved animals and, given the close proximity of her hometown of Houston, it is fitting that the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge be renamed in her honor," the bill's text states. 

Cornyn said he learned of Nungaray's love of nature while getting to know her family.

Nungaray's killing, as well as others involving illegal immigrant suspects, became a flash point during the 2024 presidential election as Trump campaigned on a platform of deporting criminals in the U.S. illegally. Nungaray, who lived in Houston, was kidnapped, sexually assaulted before she was strangled to death and left dead under a bridge in June 2024 by Franklin Pena, 26, and Johan Martinez-Rangel, 22, Harris County prosecutors said. 

Both men, alleged members of the bloodthirsty Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua who entered the United States illegally, face capital murder charges and the death penalty. 

The Trump administration has renamed the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Texas after a Houston girl who, prosecutors said, was brutally killed last year by two Venezuelan illegal immigrants.

The park, now known as the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, hosted a renaming ceremony on Thursday. The 39,000-acre sanctuary along the Texas Gulf Coast in Anahuac serves as a home for migratory birds and wildlife managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"Let this land speak her name. Let its quiet strength echo her spirit. And let it stand as a testament that her life mattered," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said during the ceremony attended by Nungaray's mother. "And that her story, however heartbreakingly brief, needs to be told and retold and never forgotten."

JOCELYN NUNGARAY'S MOTHER REVEALS HORRIFIC TIMELINE OF DAUGHTER'S MURDER IN HEARING ON OPEN-BORDER CRIME

During his joint address to Congress in March, President Donald Trump announced the renaming of the refuge to honor Nungaray, showing his signature on an executive order that changed the name of the park. 

"I had no idea that was going to happen. It was a really big shock and surprise," Alexis Nungaray, Jocelyn's mother, told FOX 26 at the time. "I was stunned. I didn't really know how to react. It was very surreal, very bittersweet."

TRUMP HONORS LIVES OF LAKEN RILEY, JOCELYN NUNGARAY WHILE CELEBRATING STRIDES ON SECURING BORDER 

During Thursday's ceremony, Burgum noted that Nungaray loved animals while offering his condolences to her mother, who did not speak. 

"May Jocelyn's family find peace in the tranquility of the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge. It's a lasting tribute to a beautiful young soul taken from us too soon," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said. 

Nungaray's death drew national attention amid criticism of the Biden administration over millions of illegal immigrants, some with violent criminal records and street gang ties, who entered the United States during his presidency. 

In December, prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty for her accused killers, 22-year-old Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and 26-year-old Franklin Jose Peña Ramos.

Both men kidnapped Nungaray and caused her death by applying pressure to her neck, authorities said. They also allegedly sexually assaulted her before leaving her body under a bridge. 

Search warrants later revealed the men were possibly members of the bloodthirsty Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and entered the U.S. illegally before the slaying.

EXCLUSIVE: A new proposal would expand which military families will qualify for lifetime National Park passes.

The "Benefits that Endure for Lifetimes of Service (BELO'S) Act" would apply to Gold Star families and service members who died from a "service-connected illnesses or service-related incident," like a training accident while in the United States, serious illness or an injury. 

Currently, Gold Star families and veterans can obtain a free lifetime pass, as well as anybody with a "permanent disability" regardless of military status. 

BURGUM SAYS INTERIOR DEPARTMENT 'COMPLETELY EMBRACING THE DOGE EFFORT'

The legislation is named after the late U.S. Army First Sergeant Marc Belo, who died from cancer related to his military service in May 2024. Belo worked closely alongside Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., the bill’s sponsor, including on a deployment in 2012.

"I’m proud to introduce the BELOS Act, honoring my dear friend and fellow solider, First Sergeant Marc Belo," Evans told Fox News Digital in a statement.

"Marc was a giant— a true leader, role model, and the godfather of flying in our unit. When Marc passed away last year, he left a hole in the hearts of all who knew him. I’m proud to honor him by ensuring families of fallen heroes are never forgotten," he added. 

'FULL COURT PRESS': FRESHMAN GOP LAWMAKER REVEALS BLUEPRINT TO FLIP SCRIPT ON GREEN ENERGY MANDATES

For the current edibility, the passes are offered as part of an effort with the National Parks Service and Operation Live Well, but the bill modifies the Federal Land Recreation Enhancement Act to go beyond just those who died in the usual "qualifying situation" that Gold Star families are determined by.

AMERICAN FLAG HUNG UPSIDE DOWN IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK IN PROTEST OVER LAYOFFS

The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., and has been referred to the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Agriculture Committee. 

EXCLUSIVE: When it comes to President Donald Trump's mission to overhaul and downsize the federal government through his recently created Department of Government Efficiency, which is known by its acronym DOGE, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is all in.

"I think that we're off to a great start in Interior, we're completely embracing the DOGE effort," Burgum emphasized in a national digital exclusive interview with Fox News.

Burgum, a multi-millionaire former software company CEO and former two-term North Dakota governor who ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before dropping out of the race and heavily supporting Trump, spotlighted government transparency when touting DOGE.

"Part of what DOGE is bringing is just awareness to the republic, to the people that are in our country," he said. "Great government is always transparent. And that's what we're doing."

FEDERAL DEPARTMENT CAFETERIA EMPTY FOR YEARS UNDER BIDEN: SOURCE

Burgum also highlighted that when it comes to DOGE's mission, "part of it is the federal government is so outdated on the technology… we have to get caught up. We're decades behind."

Trump named Elon Musk — the world's richest person and the chief executive of Tesla and Space X — to steer DOGE.

DOGE has swept through federal agencies since Trump was inaugurated a month ago, rooting out what the White House argues was billions in wasteful federal spending. It has also taken a meat cleaver to the federal workforce, resulting in a massive downsizing of employees. The moves by DOGE have triggered a slew of lawsuits in response.

WHAT THIS WELL-KNOWN REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR THINKS ABOUT DOGE

And Democrats are taking aim.

Gov. Ned Lamont argued on Thursday that DOGE appears to be aiming to "push costs down to the states and say, ‘You guys deal with it.'" 

"It has nothing to do with efficiency. It has everything to do with just cost shifting. And if that's all they want to do, then it's not DOGE. It ought to be called dodge, a way to just push the costs on to our people," Lamont told reporters.

The cuts by DOGE have hit Interior, which is responsible for the management and conservation of most federally held lands and natural resources. The department's workforce has been downsized over the past week by roughly 2,000 jobs.

"We're trying to right size the full-time positions that we have," Burgum said when asked about the job cuts at Interior.

And in an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier on "Special Report" a day earlier, Burgum added that "on a personal level, of course, I've got great empathy for anybody that loses a job… but I think we have to realize that every American is better off if we actually stop having a $2 trillion a year deficit."

WATCH: BRET BAIER GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH DOUG BURGUM

Roughly 1,000 of the cuts at Interior were newly hired National Park Service employees, who maintain and clean the parks, educate and inform visitors, and handle other duties.

But Burgum said Interior is reinstating about 5,000 seasonal jobs that were originally rescinded last month.

Seasonal workers are normally added during the spring and summer months to handle the more than 325 million annual visitors who visit the nation’s 428 parks, historic sites and other attractions.

"We did post last week 5000 summer jobs. So, if someone is looking for one of the greatest experiences of your life and want to spend the summer working at a national park, we're hiring," Burgum told Fox News Digital, as he made his pitch. "And if you want to work as a wildland firefighter, we're hiring. These are seasonal jobs. But again, an exciting way to get an experience in some of America's most beautiful places."

ONE MONTH IN TO HIS SECOND TERM, NEW POLLS SUGGEST TRUMP'S POLL NUMBERS SLIPPING

Burgum centered his short-lived presidential campaign on the economy, energy and national security. 

And now, as Interior Secretary, where he manages all oil and gas drilling leases on federal lands and waters, he's a major salesman in Trump's all-of-the-above energy agenda.

"President Trump has a vision of what has been called energy dominance, but it's really about how do we bring back the strength and the power of American energy in a way that lifts up all Americans," he said.

Burgum was interviewed minutes ahead of a Thursday appearance with the Republican Governors Association, and ahead of a Friday speech to the National Governors Association, which were both holding winter meetings in the nation's capital.

"The message to all these governors is, hey, the people in your state, regardless of which party you're in, are all going to be happier. Because when President Trump lowers the price of energy, it lowers inflation for everyone," he emphasized.

And Burgum argued that "when we export more energy abroad to our friends and allies, that is going to help President Trump win the Nobel Peace Prize. I mean, part of the way he ends these wars is we sell energy to our allies so they can stop buying it from our adversaries who are using those oil sales to fund wars against us."

Following President Donald Trump's move to change the name of the tallest mountain in North America to Mount McKinley, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has once again introduced a measure to designate the mountain as Denali. 

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, is the original cosponsor.

"In Alaska, it’s Denali," Murkowski, said, according to a press release. 

TRUMP TO RENAME GULF OF MEXICO, MOUNT DENALI ON FIRST DAY IN OFFICE

"Once you see it in person, and take in the majesty of its size and breathe in its cold air, you can understand why the Koyukon Athabascans referred to it as 'The Great One.'  This isn’t a political issue – Alaskans from every walk of life have long been advocating for this mountain to be recognized by its true name. That’s why today I once again introduced legislation that would officially keep this mountain’s quintessential name, ‘Denali.’"

Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office to change the name of the mountain from Denali back to Mount McKinley, in honor of President William McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901.

"In 1917, the country officially honored President McKinley through the naming of North America’s highest peak.  Yet after nearly a century, President Obama’s administration, in 2015, stripped the McKinley name from federal nomenclature, an affront to President McKinley’s life, his achievements, and his sacrifice," the executive order declares.

MURKOWSKI AND CASSIDY ANNOUNCE THEY'LL VOTE TO CONFIRM TULSI GABBARD TO TRUMP CABINET POST

Trump's order directed the Interior secretary to "reinstate the name ‘Mount McKinley.’"

"The Secretary shall subsequently update the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) to reflect the renaming and reinstatement of Mount McKinley.  The national park area surrounding Mount McKinley shall retain the name Denali National Park and Preserve," the order states.

The same order also directed the Interior secretary to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

GOOGLE MAPS, FAA OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGES GULF OF AMERICA AFTER TRUMP DECLARATION: ‘ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL?'

The controversy over the name of the continent's tallest peak has persisted over the years, and Murkowski has been engaged in the debate for more than a decade. 

She previously pushed measures regarding the mountain's name several times in the past, including one in 2015 for which Sullivan was the original cosponsor.

Interior Sec. Sally Jewell issued an order to change the name from Mount McKinley to Denali in 2015 during President Barack Obama's White House tenure.

"President Obama wants to change the name of Mt. McKinley to Denali after more than 100 years. Great insult to Ohio. I will change back!" Trump declared in an August 2015 tweet.

He asked about potentially changing the name while meeting with Murkowski and Sullivan, but the senators expressed their opposition, Sullivan, whose wife is Athabascan, recounted in 2017, according to adn.com. 

If "you change that name back now, she's going to be really, really mad," the senator said he told Trump, according to the report. "So he's like, 'all right, we won't do that,'" Sullivan recalled.

Murkowski is one of the GOP senators who voted to convict Trump after the House impeached him in 2021 following the U.S. Capitol riot — but notably, the Senate vote, which was held after Trump had already departed from office, failed to clear the threshold necessary for conviction.