[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 13 (Thursday, January 22, 2009)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 4093-4095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-1529]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 13 / Thursday, January 22, 2009 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 4093]]


                Proclamation 8342

                
To Suspend Entry As Immigrants And Nonimmigrants 
                of Foreign Government Officials Responsible for Failing 
                To Combat Trafficking In Persons

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                In order to foster greater resolve to address 
                trafficking in persons (TIP), specifically in punishing 
                acts of trafficking and providing protections to the 
                victims of these crimes, consistent with the 
                Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended 
                (the ``Act'') (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), it is in the 
                interests of the United States to restrict the 
                international travel and to suspend entry into the 
                United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of 
                certain senior government officials responsible for 
                domestic law enforcement, justice, or labor affairs who 
                have impeded their governments' antitrafficking 
                efforts, have failed to implement their governments' 
                antitrafficking laws and policies, or who otherwise 
                bear responsibility for their governments' failures to 
                take steps recognized internationally as appropriate to 
                combat trafficking in persons, and whose governments 
                have been ranked more than once as Tier 3 countries, 
                which represent the worst anti-TIP performers, in the 
                Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons 
                Report, and for which I have made a determination 
                pursuant to section 110(d)(1)-(2) or (4) of the Act. 
                The Act reflects international antitrafficking 
                standards that guide efforts to eradicate this modern-
                day form of slavery around the world.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, including section 212(f) of the 
                Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, 8 U.S.C. 
                1182(f), and section 301 of title 3, United States 
                Code, hereby find that the unrestricted immigrant and 
                nonimmigrant entry into the United States of persons 
                described in section 1 of this proclamation would, 
                except as provided for in sections 2 and 3 of this 
                proclamation, be detrimental to the interests of the 
                United States.

                I therefore hereby proclaim that:

                Section 1. The entry into the United States, as 
                immigrants or nonimmigrants, of the following aliens is 
                hereby suspended:

                 (a) Senior government officials--defined as the heads 
                of ministries or agencies and officials occupying 
                positions within the two bureaucratic levels below 
                those top positions--responsible for domestic law 
                enforcement, justice, or labor affairs who have impeded 
                their governments' antitrafficking efforts, have failed 
                to implement their governments' antitrafficking laws 
                and policies, or who otherwise bear responsibility for 
                their governments' failures to take steps recognized 
                internationally as appropriate to combat trafficking in 
                persons, and who are members of governments for which I 
                have made a determination pursuant to section 
                110(d)(1)-(2) or (4) of the Act, in the current year 
                and at least once in the preceding 3 years;

                (b) The spouses of persons described in subsection (a) 
                of this section.

[[Page 4094]]

                Sec. 2. Section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply 
                with respect to any person otherwise covered by section 
                1 where entry of such person would not be contrary to 
                the interest of the United States.

                Sec. 3. Persons covered by sections 1 or 2 of this 
                proclamation shall be identified by the Secretary of 
                State or the Secretary's designee, in his or her sole 
                discretion, pursuant to such procedures as the 
                Secretary may establish under section 5 of this 
                proclamation.

                Sec. 4. Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed 
                to derogate from United States Government obligations 
                under applicable international agreements.

                Sec. 5. The Secretary of State shall implement this 
                proclamation pursuant to such procedures as the 
                Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of 
                Homeland Security, may establish.

                Sec. 6. This proclamation is effective immediately. It 
                shall remain in effect until such time as the Secretary 
                of State determines that it is no longer necessary and 
                should be terminated, either in whole or in part. Any 
                such determination by the Secretary of State shall be 
                published in the Federal Register.

                Sec. 7. This proclamation is not intended to, and does 
                not, create any right, benefit, or privilege, 
                substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in 
                equity by any party against the United States, its 
                departments, agencies, instrumentalities, or entities, 
                its officers or employees, or any other person.

[[Page 4095]]

                 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
                <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. E9-1529
Filed 1-21-09; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W9-P