Nebraska Panhandle News

U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts and Joni Ernst have introduced the Better Enforcement of Grievous Offenses by unNaturalized Emigrants (BE GONE) Act, a bill aimed at deporting illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes. The legislation, spearheaded by Senator Ernst, seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to classify sexual assault and aggravated sexual violence as "aggravated felonies," which would allow for deportation.

The introduction of this bill follows an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) report indicating that 16,320 illegal immigrants with sexual assault convictions are currently in the United States. Senator Ricketts criticized current border policies, stating, “The Biden-Harris administration’s open borders policies have allowed violent sexual offenders to cross our border illegally then roam undeterred across America.” He emphasized that the bill aims to ensure these individuals are either deported or prevented from entering the country.

Senator Ernst expressed her commitment to addressing this issue, saying, “These violent criminals never would have entered America in the first place if we had real border security, but now that they’re in our communities, they need to BE GONE.” She further criticized Vice President Kamala Harris's role as Border Czar and vowed that her legislation would help identify and deport predators.

Retired Acting Director of ICE Tom Homan voiced his support for the bill: “I am honored to amplify and support the incredible efforts of Senator Joni Ernst on this bill. This bill will hold accountable those who commit the most heinous crimes.”

Michael Hough from NumbersUSA praised the proposed legislation as "common sense" and urged Congress to pass it. Dan Stein from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) also supported the act, citing a crisis at U.S. borders under current administration policies. He stated that “Congress must work to ensure that criminal aliens are quickly removed from our country,” adding that FAIR is proud to back this initiative.