Sponsors (20)
The bill makes harming animals used in law enforcement a clear ground for inadmissibility or removal to boost public safety and give agencies firmer enforcement authority, but it increases risks to noncitizens' due-process and equity—particularly where admissions, plea deals, or limited counsel could produce removals—and may raise administrative and litigation costs.
Law enforcement officers and the public: noncitizens who harm animals used in law enforcement become inadmissible or deportable, reducing the presence of individuals who commit targeted violent acts against law enforcement resources.
DHS, DOJ, and immigration decision-makers: the bill provides clear statutory grounds to deny visas or remove noncitizens who harmed law-enforcement animals, streamlining enforcement decisions and reducing uncertainty for federal agencies.
Noncitizens (including visa applicants and residents): admissions of conduct — even absent criminal convictions — can trigger visa denial or removal, increasing the risk of deportation based on statements rather than proven guilt.
Vulnerable immigrants (low-income or with limited legal counsel): reliance on admissions and plea bargains could lead to disparate enforcement, disproportionately harming those more likely to plead or be coerced.
Taxpayers and the immigration system: agencies may face increased caseloads and legal challenges from admission-based denials and removals, raising administrative costs and litigation exposure.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Adds convictions or admissions related to harming law-enforcement animals (18 U.S.C. § 1368) as grounds for inadmissibility and deportability under U.S. immigration law.
Adds harming animals used in law enforcement (the offense in 18 U.S.C. § 1368) to the list of crimes that make a noncitizen inadmissible to the United States and removable from the United States. The bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to treat convictions, admissions, or admissions of conduct that meet the essential elements of that federal offense as a ground for denial of admission and for deportation. The change applies to any alien with a qualifying conviction or admission tied to the federal offense that criminalizes injuring or killing animals used by law enforcement, making immigration consequences automatic grounds rather than discretionary relief for those conduct categories.
Official title: To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that an alien who has been convicted of harming animals used in law enforcement is inadmissible and deportable, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 23, 2025 by Ken Calvert · Last progress March 19, 2026