Aggravated Felony Legislation

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) have introduced a bill known as “The Passport and Travel Document Fraud Prevention Act” (S. 524). This bill would expand the definition of “aggravated felony” in immigration law to include a wide range of passport and document related offenses. The harsh consequences of an “aggravated felony” conviction include mandatory detention, permanent deportation, and ineligibility for any type of relief. Earlier this year, Senator Feinstein was unsuccessful when she attempted to offer similar language as an amendment during congressional debates around intelligence reform, DHS Appropriations, and Patriot Act Reauthorization. We predict that S. 524 will come up again on the next piece of “must-pass” legislation or be “marked-up” in the Senate Judiciary Committee.  We are not sure about the timing for this bill, but would like to have a sign on letter “on hand” to circulate to congressional staff when the bill moves.  We will alert you once we learn more about the timing for the Feinstein-Sessions bill, so that timely contacts can be made to congressional targets.  

For an analysis of the legislation see:

http://www.immigrationforum.org/documents/PolicyWire/Legislation/FeinsteinAnalysis.pdf