U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith has reiterated her commitment to amending the current U.S. immigration laws by designating sexual assault and aggravated sexual violence as felonies. Such classification would allow for the deportation of illegal immigrants convicted of these crimes.
Hyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of the recently reintroduced Better Enforcement of Grievous Offenses by un-Naturalized Emigrants Act (BE GONE Act or S.1517) led by U.S. Senator Joni Ernst. The BE GONE Act aims to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, ensuring that sexual assault and aggravated sexual violence are included as disqualifying crimes for foreign applicants seeking U.S. residency and grounds for deportation for non-citizen resident immigrants. The act also stipulates that conviction of an aggravated felony would bar entry into the United States and result in deportation.
“Supporters of the Biden open border policies downplay the violence associated with allowing illegal immigrants to surge across the border, but there have been numerous recorded instances of sexual violence committed by these criminals across the country,” stated Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. She emphasized the urgent need to address this oversight in current immigration law.
The bill has garnered support from various U.S. Senators, including Mike Crapo, Kevin Cramer, James Justice, Charles Grassley, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, James Risch, Roger Marshall, Mike Lee, Pete Ricketts, James Lankford, Josh Hawley, and Tim Scott.
Senator Hyde-Smith, who has visited the southern border, has continuously backed legislation aimed at reinforcing the nation’s immigration laws to more effectively target criminal activities by illegal aliens. This includes supporting the Laken Riley Act, which was signed into law by President Trump earlier this year.
