Protecting America From Spies Act

Bill: 117-s-1722
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced: 2021-05-19
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Espionage and treason

Family relationships

Immigration status and procedures

Subversive activities

Technology transfer and commercialization

Trade restrictions
Latest action: action_date: 2021-05-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-05-19
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Protecting America From Spies Act</b></p> <p>This bill expands the grounds for barring aliens who have engaged in acts relating to espionage or sabotage from entering the United States.</p> <p>Specifically, any alien shall be inadmissible if the alien has engaged in or will engage in an act that (1) violates a U.S. law relating to espionage or sabotage; (2) would violate any U.S. law relating to espionage or sabotage if it occurred in the United States; or (3) violates any U.S. law prohibiting the export of goods, technology, or sensitive information. Currently, an alien shall be inadmissible if the alien seeks to enter the United States to engage in such an action.</p> <p>Furthermore, the bill expands these grounds of inadmissibility and other security-related grounds to cover the spouse or child of the barred alien if the act occurred in the last five years.</p> <p>The bill also modifies the authority of the Department of Justice to waive certain security-related grounds of inadmissibility for an alien applying for a nonimmigrant visa.</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1722 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 19, 2021 Mr. Cruz (for himself and Mr. Rubio ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to ensure that efforts to engage in espionage or technology transfer are considered in visa issuance, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting America From Spies Act . 2. Expanding inadmissibility on security and related grounds (a) In general Section 212(a)(3)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(A) ) is amended to read as follows: (A) In general Any alien is inadmissible if a consular officer or the Secretary of Homeland Security knows, or has reasonable ground to believe, that the alien— (i) engages, has engaged, or will engage in any activity— (I) in violation of any law of the United States relating to espionage or sabotage; or (II) that would violate any law of the United States relating to espionage or sabotage if the activity occurred in the United States; (ii) engages, has engaged, or will engage in any activity in violation or evasion of any law prohibiting the export from the United States of goods, technology, or sensitive information; (iii) seeks to enter the United States to engage solely, principally, or incidentally in any other unlawful activity; (iv) seeks to enter the United States to engage solely, principally, or incidentally in any activity a purpose of which is the opposition to, or the control or overthrow of, the Government of the United States by force, violence, or other unlawful means; or (v) is the spouse or child of an alien who is inadmissible under this subparagraph, if the activity causing the alien to be found inadmissible occurred within the last 5 years. . (b) Waiver authority Section 212(d)(3)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(3)(A) ) is amended by striking (other than paragraphs (3)(A)(i)(I), (3)(A)(ii), (3)(A)(iii), (3)(C), and clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (3)(E) of such subsection) each place such phrase appears and inserting (other than subparagraphs (A)(i)(I), (A)(ii), (A)(iii), (A)(iv), (C), (E)(i), and (E)(ii) of paragraph (3) of such subsection) .