I am offering
an amendment that takes Republicans at their word. This amendment would make clear that H.R. 3004 would not be used to
criminally prosecute and incarcerate sex trafficking victims merely for
seeking protection at ports of entry. As should be evident at this stage of debate, the provisions of this
bill extend well beyond immigrants with criminal histories; in fact,
they reach many of the most vulnerable and persecuted members of
society. Perhaps most egregiously, H.R. 3004 authorizes, for the first
time, the prosecution of individuals who voluntarily present themselves
at points of entry to seek relief consistent with our immigration laws,
and that includes individuals seeking protection as victims of sex
trafficking. Let's be clear on the law. Today, it is not a crime for an individual
who has been previously denied admission or removed to voluntarily
present herself at a port of entry seeking to reenter the country
legally. This bill changes that by making the simple act of going to
the port of entry, which itself requires the physical act of crossing
the border, a felony offense for such individuals. These are not individuals attempting to evade immigration agents. They are not trying to sneak into the United States. They are simply
exercising the right to lawfully approach a U.S. port of entry to seek
permission to enter.
Keywords matched
immigration immigrants