H.R. 7544 — Introduced in House

I 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7544 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 12, 2026Ms. Mace introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that an alien convicted of an offense involving animal cruelty is inadmissible and deportable, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Illegal Alien Animal Abuser Removal Act of 2026. 2. Inadmissibility and deportability related to animal cruelty (a) Inadmissibility Section 212(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (J) Animal cruelty and animal fighting Any alien who has been convicted of, who admits having committed, or who admits committing acts constituting the essential elements of— (i) an offense under sections 48 or 49 of title 18, United States Code; or (ii) an offense under State, Tribal, or local law, an essential element of which is animal cruelty, animal abuse, or animal fighting, regardless of whether such offense is classified as a misdemeanor or felony under State, Tribal, or local law, is inadmissible. . (b) Deportability Section 237(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (G) Animal cruelty and animal fighting Any alien who has been convicted of— (i) an offense under sections 48 or 49 of title 18, United States Code; or (ii) an offense under State, Tribal, or local law, an essential element of which is animal cruelty, animal abuse, or animal fighting, regardless of whether such offense is classified as a misdemeanor or felony under State, Tribal, or local law, is deportable. .