Chuck Grassley and Ernst reintroduce The BE GONE Act upon Revelations that 15,000 Sex Offenders have Entered the United States

Senator Chuck Grassley, along with Senator Joni Ernst, has recently reintroduced legislation aimed at enhancing the deportation process for illegal immigrants who have been convicted of sex crimes. This legislative effort comes in response to data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) indicating that there are over 15,000 illegal immigrants convicted of sexual assault currently residing in the U.S. outside of ICE custody.

Named the Better Enforcement of Grievous Offenses by Unnaturalized Emigrants (BE GONE) Act, this bill seeks to classify sexual assault and aggravated sexual violence as "aggravated felonies" under the Immigration and Nationality Act. This classification would make individuals convicted of these crimes subject to immediate deportation without discretionary relief, ensuring they are barred from reentering the U.S.

The introduction of this legislation follows revelations that there are over 15,000 illegal immigrants in the U.S. with convictions for sexual assault, out of a broader figure of over 600,000 migrants with criminal convictions. This situation, highlighted by ICE data, underscores the urgency and public safety rationale behind the BE GONE Act.

This legislative move also ties into ongoing debates about immigration enforcement, the handling of criminal aliens, and the prioritization of deportation efforts. Historically, there's been contention over the enforcement of immigration laws concerning criminal aliens, with previous reports indicating failures in prioritizing the deportation of serious offenders.

This legislative push by Grassley and Ernst, therefore, is not just about immigration but is deeply intertwined with concerns over public safety, legal accountability, and the effectiveness of current immigration enforcement strategies. The legislation aims to address a specific gap in current law by treating certain sex crimes with the severity deemed appropriate by its proponents, advocating for a stricter approach to immigration control based on criminal convictions.

As of July 21, 2024, there were 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories on ICE’s national docket—13,099 criminally convicted MURDERS!