Sponsors (21)
The bill tightens grounds for removing noncitizens who assault law enforcement and increases transparency through annual reporting—potentially improving public safety and oversight but raising risks of deportation for acts defined variably across jurisdictions, chilling community cooperation with police, and increasing government workload and costs.
People in communities (general public) may see reduced risk from individuals who assault law enforcement because noncitizens convicted of assaulting police can be removed, potentially enhancing public safety and reducing recidivism risk from that specific offense.
Immigrants and immigration adjudicators get clearer standards because the bill defines who qualifies as a 'law enforcement officer' and what counts as an 'assault,' reducing legal ambiguity in removal decisions.
Lawmakers, researchers, and the public gain yearly, offense-specific deportation data because the bill requires DHS to publish annual counts of removals for assaulting law enforcement, improving transparency and oversight of enforcement trends.
Immigrants (including long-term residents and families) face heightened risk of deportation because local jurisdictions define 'assault' differently, so relatively minor or nonviolent acts in some places could trigger removal and cause loss of residence or family separation.
Immigrant communities and victims/witnesses may become less willing to report crimes or cooperate with police out of fear that admissions or minor confrontations could lead to removal, undermining community safety and policing.
Immigration courts, DOJ enforcement, and related government agencies will likely face more cases and interpretive work, increasing workloads, costs, and the risk of longer case backlogs.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates a deportability ground for noncitizens convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers and requires DHS to publish an annual report of removals under that ground.
Official title: To make the assault of a law enforcement officer a deportable offense, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 3, 2025 by Andrew R. Garbarino · Last progress January 3, 2025
Makes noncitizens removable if convicted of (or admitting to) an offense that involves assaulting a law enforcement officer when the officer was performing duties, because of performing duties, or because of officer status. It defines the covered assault and law enforcement officer by reference to the law where the conduct occurred. Requires the Department of Homeland Security to publish an annual public report to Congress and on DHS's website listing the number of deportations carried out under the new deportable-offense category for assaults on law enforcement officers.