U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) introduced new legislation that would authorize the deportation of illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes.
If someone is here illegally, especially with a criminal conviction and a history of sexual violence, they must be deported immediately,” Rep. Gonzales said. “I look forward to joining forces with my colleagues in the House and Sen. Joni Ernst to move this critical legislation across the finish line.”
The lawmakers recently introduced the Better Enforcement of Grievous Offenses by unNaturalized Emigrants (BE GONE) Act.
If enacted, the bill would include sexual assault and aggravated sexual violence in the definition of aggravated felony under the Immigration and Nationality Act in order to expedite the removal of aliens convicted of any such crime, according to the text of the bill.
“The health and safety of our citizens must always come first, and I am proud to continue working with President Trump to protect the American people,” said Sen. Ernst. “These violent, criminal illegal aliens need to BE GONE.”
The Federation for American Immigration Reform and NumbersUSA have endorsed the measure.
“I represent the largest border district in the House of Representatives — Eagle Pass, Del Rio, and El Paso are all in my district. We witnessed firsthand the consequences of the Biden administration tying the hands of our Border Patrol Agents and ignoring warnings from law enforcement that illegal aliens with violent criminal charges were entering our country,” Rep. Gonzales said. “Thousands of these criminal illegal aliens had a sexual violence charge on their record. The BE GONE Act will give ICE agents and CBP personnel more tools to identify and deport illegal immigrants with sexual violence charges.”