Mr. Speaker, this motion to recommit not only changes
the bill before us, but it also changes current law. It has long been
Federal law that an alien who has been deported and who returns to the
U.S. is subject to possible criminal prosecution. Under this bill, an alien who has received consent from the
Department of Homeland Security to return or is not required to seek
consent from DHS has an affirmative defense. Obviously, such an alien will never be prosecuted. Never has, never
will. In fact, because this is current law--and the gentlewoman was the
chairman of the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee for 4
years and never offered such an amendment to current law--I see no
reason to address it in this legislation. I will say that we have all been committed in a very bipartisan
fashion to combating sex trafficking. We passed several bills through
this House, some with the gentlewoman's support, some without, that do
indeed combat sex trafficking.
Keywords matched
deported Border Security Immigration