Paul Coverdell: “aliens are deportable for criminal offenses under section 241(a)(2) under four broad headings: General crime, controlled…”

“aliens are deportable for criminal offenses under section 241(a)(2) under four broad headings: General crime, controlled substances, certain firearm offenses, and miscellaneous crimes. This proposed amendment to S. 1664 creates two new headings: Domestic violence, violation of a protection order, crimes against children, and stalking. The other heading, crimes of sexual violence. We are adding as offenses for grounds for deportation, the following offenses: Conviction of a crime of domestic violence; violation of a judicial protection order in a domestic violence context; conviction for stalking; conviction for child abuse, child sexual abuse, child negligence, or child abandonment; conviction of rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact, or other crimes of sexual violence. Mr. President, while some of these offenses may be deportable under existing headings of crimes of moral turpitude or aggravated felony, they are not necessarily covered. Uniformity is also a problem. Whether a crime is one of moral turpitude is a question of State law and thus varies from State to State. An offense may be deportable in one State and not deportable in another. Misdemeanor offenses would not be covered under existing law. Mr. President, under our amendment, stalkers would be deportable on their first offense. The second offense may be too late for their victims, who could well be injured or dead as a result.”