# Plain Language Summary of the BE GONE Act

This bill makes it easier for the government to deport non-citizens who have been convicted of sexual crimes. Currently, immigration law has a list of serious crimes called "aggravated felonies" that can trigger deportation. This bill adds sexual assault, sexual abuse, and aggravated sexual violence to that list. Once someone is convicted of one of these crimes, immigration authorities can move forward with removal proceedings more quickly and with fewer legal obstacles.

The practical effect is that if you're not a U.S. citizen and you're convicted of sexual assault or a related sexual crime, you face automatic deportation proceedings. Previously, some sexual crimes might not have qualified as aggravated felonies under immigration law, which meant deportation wasn't guaranteed even after a criminal conviction. Now, these crimes are explicitly included, removing that legal gray area. This applies to anyone without citizenship status—whether they're in the country legally on a visa, illegally, or in any other immigration status.

For most people, this bill won't directly affect them unless they're involved in the immigration system. However, it does represent a shift in how immigration law treats sexual offenses, treating them with the same severity as other serious felonies like murder or drug trafficking when it comes to deportation decisions. Supporters argue this protects public safety by ensuring dangerous offenders don't remain in the country, while critics might worry about how it interacts with other aspects of the immigration system or criminal justice process.

BE GONE Act

Stefanik, Elise M.

Better Enforcement of Grievous Offenses by unNaturalized Emigrants Act or the BE GONE Act This bill expands, for immigration purposes, the definition of aggravated felony to include sexual abuse, sexual assault, and aggravated sexual violence. (Under current law, a conviction for an aggravated felony is grounds for deportation and may bar an individual from other immigration-related benefits.)