Congress expands deportation for cargo theft—with no family or hardship exceptions.
H.R. 4092 — Protect RAIL Act · Filed by Paul Gosar (R-AZ) · 39 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 24, 2025 · Referred to committee
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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.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
freight and logistics companies; railroad operators; cargo insurers