During Sexual Assault Awareness Month, U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) introduced legislation aimed at deporting illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes. The Better Enforcement of Grievous Offenses by UnNaturalized Emigrants (BE GONE) Act proposes amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act to categorize sexual assault and aggravated sexual violence as “aggravated felonies.”
Rep. Tony Gonzales remarks, “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. Thousands of these criminal illegal aliens had a sexual violence charge on their record. If someone is here illegally, especially with a criminal conviction and a history of sexual violence, they must be deported immediately. The BE GONE Act will give ICE agents and CBP personnel more tools to identify and deport illegal immigrants with sexual violence charges. I look forward to joining forces with my colleagues in the House and Senator Joni Ernst to move this critical legislation across the finish line.”
Senator Joni Ernst underscores the issue, stating, “President Trump and his team have hit the ground running reversing the damage from the last four years, but we must ensure that every last sexual predator let in by Joe Biden is deported. 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. These violent, criminal illegal aliens need to BE GONE!”
According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), there is critical need for this legislation. Joe Chatham, Director of Government Relations at FAIR, states, “Under the Biden administration’s policies, tens of thousands of criminal aliens were apprehended attempting to enter illegally, with shocking data last year showing that there were at least 16,320 aliens in the U.S. convicted of sexual assault. Congress must work to ensure that these criminal aliens are quickly removed from our country, and this bill will help to accomplish exactly that. FAIR is proud to support the BE GONE Act and protecting American communities from illegal alien crime.”
NumbersUSA Director of Federal Affairs Michael Hough also supports the act, expressing gratitude to Senator Ernst and Rep. Gonzales for reintroducing the BE GONE Act. Hough states, “We are grateful to Senator Ernst and Congressman Gonzales for reintroducing the BE GONE Act which will deport immigrants who have committed heinous acts. This is common sense legislation, following up on the Laken Riley Act, that Congress passed this year to protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens.”
Previously, Rep. Tony Gonzales sought more information on the issue by writing to the Department of Homeland Security, asking for details on illegal immigrants on ICE’s docket. Former ICE Deputy Director Patrick Lechleiter provided information indicating that tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with sexual assault convictions are currently in the country.
