Recently, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia joined 19 colleagues in introducing a bipartisan bill aimed at deporting sexual offenders currently in the United States and preventing others from entering. The initiative is led by U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa.
The proposed legislation, known as the Better Enforcement of Grievous Offenses by unNaturalized Emigrants (BE GONE) Act, seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. It aims to classify sexual assault and aggravated sexual violence as “aggravated felonies.”
Senator Capito emphasized the importance of this measure: “Criminals who illegally cross our border, including those convicted of sexual assault, should not be allowed to remain in our country,” she stated. “Anyone who commits such a despicable act should be removed from our country and barred from ever returning. This is common sense policy and we have a duty to the American people to keep them safe from criminals known to be dangerous to our communities.”
This legislative effort follows a report indicating that 16,320 illegal immigrants with convictions for sexual assault are currently residing in the United States.
