Protecting America From Spies Act

Bill: 119-hr-419
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Cline, Ben [R-VA-6]
Introduced: 2025-01-15
Policy area: Immigration
Latest action: action_date: 2025-01-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-15
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Protecting America From Spies Act</strong></p><p>This bill expands the grounds for barring non-U.S. nationals (<em>aliens</em> under federal law) from entering the United States on the basis&nbsp;of espionage or sabotage.</p><p>Currently, an individual is inadmissible if the individual seeks to enter the United States to engage in an act that (1) violates a U.S. law relating to espionage or sabotage; or (2) violates any U.S. law prohibiting the export of goods, technology, or sensitive information. Under the bill, an individual is inadmissible if the individual engages, has engaged, or will engage in such an act or in an act that would violate any U.S. law relating to espionage or sabotage if it occurred in the United States.</p><p>Furthermore, the bill expands these grounds of inadmissibility and other security-related grounds to cover the spouse or child of the barred individual if the act occurred in the last five years.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 419 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 15, 2025 Mr. Cline (for himself, Mr. Bergman , Mr. Ogles , and Mr. Higgins of Louisiana ) introduced the following bill; which was 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, an immigration officer, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Attorney General 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) .