Congress expands deportation for cargo theft—with no family or hardship exceptions.

What it does

This bill amends immigration law to make non-citizens who have been convicted of, or admit to committing, theft or conspiracy involving cargo shipped across state lines or internationally inadmissible to the U.S. and deportable if already present. The bill targets theft from interstate or international shipments (defined in federal criminal code 18 U.S.C. § 659) as a ground for immigration consequences.

Why we flagged it

The bill straightforwardly adds a new criminal ground for deportation tied to a specific federal offense (cargo theft). It is a targeted immigration enforcement measure with no hidden mechanism or rider.

What the text implies

• The bill references 18 U.S.C. § 659 without restating its elements; the scope of 'interstate or foreign shipments by carrier' depends entirely on how that statute is interpreted and applied by prosecutors and courts.
• The phrase 'admits having committed' or 'admits committing acts which constitute the essential elements' in the inadmissibility section may create a lower evidentiary bar than conviction, potentially allowing removal based on statements made during immigration proceedings without a criminal conviction.
• No explicit carve-out for family unity, length of residence, or humanitarian considerations; a non-citizen with decades of U.S. ties, a U.S. citizen spouse or children, or a single cargo-theft conviction could face mandatory deportation.
• The bill does not clarify whether conspiracy to commit cargo theft (which may involve planning or agreement without execution) triggers the same consequences as completed theft, potentially capturing lower-level participation.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill addresses a real criminal conduct (cargo theft affecting interstate commerce and supply chains), which may reduce theft-related disruptions and protect commerce. However, it expands deportation grounds without addressing whether the offense severity, individual circumstances, or ties to the U.S. are considered, potentially leading to removal of long-term residents or family members for a single conviction, and it does not clarify how 'admits having committed' is proven or what procedura

Who stands to gain

• freight and logistics companies
• railroad operators
• cargo insurers

Named in the bill

Immigration and Nationality Act, 18 U.S.C. § 659, Section 212(a)(2), Section 237(a)(2), Department of Homeland Security, ICE

Where it stands

39 cosponsors: 39 Republicans.

• Jun 24, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jun 24, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

3 lobbying clients named this bill on 5 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $3,291,005 in lobbying spend. A filing names 32 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 61% of bills with at least one filing.

Paul Gosar, the sponsor, reported $87,570 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Union Pacific Corporation — $1,770,000 on 2 filings
• Bnsf Railway Company — $960,000 on 1 filing
• Csx Corporation — $561,005 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.