HR7544-119

What This Bill Does

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act in two places. For inadmissibility, it adds a ground covering a noncitizen who has been convicted of, admits committing, or admits acts constituting the essential elements of federal animal-crush or animal-fighting offenses under 18 U.S.C. sections 48 or 49, or state, tribal, or local offenses whose essential element is animal cruelty, animal abuse, or animal fighting. For deportability, it adds the same federal, state, tribal, and local animal-cruelty and animal-fighting conviction categories. The provision applies regardless of whether the nonfederal offense is labeled a misdemeanor or felony.

Who Benefits and How

Animal welfare enforcement interests, immigration prosecutors, and communities seeking removal consequences for animal-cruelty conduct benefit from an explicit INA ground tied to federal and nonfederal animal cruelty or animal fighting offenses.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Noncitizens with covered animal-cruelty or animal-fighting conduct face inadmissibility or deportability exposure. DHS immigration officers, immigration judges, and consular officers must evaluate convictions, admissions, essential offense elements, and whether state, tribal, or local offenses fall within the new categories.

Key Provisions

• Amends INA inadmissibility grounds to cover convictions, admissions, or admitted essential elements of covered animal cruelty or animal fighting offenses.
• Provides a new INA deportability ground for noncitizens convicted of covered federal, state, tribal, or local animal cruelty or animal fighting offenses.
• Expands immigration consequences to covered animal-cruelty offenses regardless of misdemeanor or felony classification under nonfederal law.