Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act
Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act
Plain Language Summary
# Summary of S. 158: Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act **What the bill would do:** This bill would expand immigration enforcement rules to address crimes against women and children. If passed, it would prevent non-U.S. citizens from entering the country if they have admitted to or been convicted of domestic violence, stalking, child abuse, sex offenses, or violations of protective orders. The bill also broadens the grounds for deporting non-U.S.
citizens who have committed these crimes, including any sex offense or conspiracy to commit one. **Who it affects and current status:** The bill targets non-U.S. citizens (documented and undocumented immigrants) convicted of or admitting to crimes involving violence against women and children. It would potentially affect immigration eligibility and deportation decisions in these cases. Currently, the bill is in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full Senate. **Key provision:** The main change is expanding the list of criminal convictions that trigger deportation eligibility. While current law already covers some crimes like domestic violence and child abuse, this bill would add broader sex offense categories and conspiracy charges as automatic deportation grounds.
CRS Official Summary
Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens ActThis bill establishes certain criminal grounds for making non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) inadmissible and expands the crimes for which a non-U.S. national is deportable.First, the bill establishes that a non-U.S. national is inadmissible if the individual has admitted to or is convicted of acts constituting the essential elements of stalking, child abuse, child neglect, child abandonment, a sex offense, conspiracy to commit a sex offense, a violation of certain protection orders, or domestic violence (including physical or sexual abuse or a pattern of coercive behavior when it occurs within certain close relationships). Next, the bill establishes additional grounds for deportation. Under current law, a non-U.S. national is deportable for certain criminal convictions, including domestic violence, stalking, and child abuse. The bill makes any sex offense (including crimes against minors) or conspiracy to commit a sex offense a basis for deportation. The bill also expands the domestic violence crimes that make a non-U.S. national deportable to include physical or sexual abuse or a pattern of coercive behavior when it occurs within certain close relationships.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.