U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Congressman Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) have introduced the “Better Enforcement of Grievous Offenses by unnaturalized Emigrants (BE GONE) Act” in a move to codify key aspects of the previous administration’s zero-tolerance border policies.
The legislation, announced Thursday, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, aims to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by classifying sexual assault and aggravated sexual violence as “aggravated felonies,” thereby expediting the deportation of non-citizens convicted of these crimes.
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The introduction of the BE GONE Act follows a report released last year which indicated that over 16,000 non-citizens with sexual assault convictions were present in the United States.
Ernst emphasized the urgency of the legislation, stating, “The previous administration and its team have hit the ground running reversing the damage from the last four years, but we must ensure that every last sexual predator let in by Joe Biden is deported. The health and safety of our citizens must always come first, and I am proud to continue working with the previous administration to protect the American people. These violent, criminal illegal aliens need to BE GONE!”
Congressman Gonzales, representing a large border district in Texas, echoed these concerns.
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“We witnessed firsthand the consequences of the Biden administration tying the hands of our Border Patrol Agents and ignoring warnings from law enforcement that illegal aliens with violent criminal charges were entering our country. Thousands of these criminal illegal aliens had a sexual violence charge on their record. If someone is here illegally, especially with a criminal conviction and a history of sexual violence, they must be deported immediately,” Gonzales asserted. “The BE GONE Act will give ICE agents and CBP personnel more tools to identify and deport illegal immigrants with sexual violence charges. I look forward to joining forces with my colleagues in the House and Senator Joni Ernst to move this critical legislation across the finish line.”
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) also voiced its support for the bill. “Under the Biden administration’s policies, tens of thousands of criminal aliens were apprehended attempting to enter illegally, with shocking data last year showing that there were at least 16,320 aliens in the U.S. convicted of sexual assault,” said FAIR Director of Government Relations Joe Chatham. “Congress must work to ensure that these criminal aliens are quickly removed from our country and this bill will help to accomplish exactly that. FAIR is proud to support the BE GONE Act and protecting American communities from illegal alien crime.”
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NumbersUSA Director of Federal Affairs Michael Hough lauded the legislation as “common sense,” building upon the recently passed Laken Riley Act. “We are grateful to Senator Ernst and Congressman Gonzales for reintroducing the BE GONE Act which will deport immigrants who have committed heinous acts. This is common sense legislation, following up on the Laken Riley Act, that Congress passed this year to protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens.”
Senator Ernst has been a long-standing advocate for victims of crimes committed by non-citizens. Her efforts include a nine-year fight alongside the parents of Sarah Root, an Iowan killed in 2016 by a non-citizen who evaded justice.
This year, “Sarah’s Law,” championed by Ernst, was enacted, mandating the detention of non-citizens who commit violent crimes against Americans. Ernst’s advocacy recently resulted in Sarah Root’s killer being brought into U.S. custody.
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