Congress fast-tracks deportation for sexual assault convictions, eliminating judicial discretion

What it does

This bill adds sexual assault and aggravated sexual violence to the list of crimes classified as 'aggravated felonies' under U.S. immigration law. Once classified as an aggravated felony, a non-citizen convicted of such a crime becomes deportable and ineligible for most forms of relief from removal. The bill expedites removal proceedings for non-citizens convicted of these sexual offenses.

Why we flagged it

The bill is a straightforward amendment to immigration law that expands the categories of crimes triggering mandatory deportation. It is not a tax measure, appropriation, or regulatory carve-out — it is a substantive change to the deportability standard for a specific class of offenders.

What the text implies

• Non-citizens convicted of sexual assault lose access to cancellation of removal, a discretionary form of relief that allows judges to weigh family ties, length of residence, and rehabilitation. The bill eliminates judicial discretion entirely for this category.
• The bill does not define 'aggravated sexual violence' — that term is not defined in the INA and may be interpreted differently across states and federal courts, creating inconsistent application and potential due-process concerns.
• Individuals with old convictions for sexual assault may become deportable retroactively if they were previously convicted under a narrower definition of aggravated felony, even if they have since rehabilitated, established families, or built lives in the U.S.
• The bill applies to all non-citizens regardless of immigration status (visa holders, green-card holders, asylum seekers, undocumented immigrants), meaning even long-term residents with deep community ties face automatic removal.

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

Who it affects

The bill serves a legitimate public-safety interest by expediting removal of non-citizens convicted of serious sexual crimes, which protects potential victims and reflects community safety priorities. However, the bill may also remove due-process protections and discretionary judicial review for individuals whose convictions may not reflect the severity implied by the label, and it creates a categorical bar that eliminates case-by-case assessment of individual circumstances, family ties, and reh

Named in the bill

Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 101(a)(43), Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Executive Office for Immigration Review

Where it stands

18 cosponsors: 18 Republicans.

• Apr 29, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Apr 29, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the 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

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 2 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $40,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 30 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 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Joni Ernst, the sponsor, reported $342,120 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• International Union of Police Associations AFL-CIO — $40,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 10, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.