A Republican congressman from Wisconsin has introduced legislation to cease issuing U.S. visas to people from countries that won't take back those who commit crimes while in the U.S.
Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin on Aug. 25 introduced H.R. 8714, the Alien Criminal Expulsion Act or ACE Act, his office announced at the time. The bill "would temporarily halt the issuance of immigrant and non-immigrant visas in 'recalcitrant” countries'," the announcement states. A 'recalcitrant' country is one whose government refuses "to accept the return of their citizens who commit criminal acts, overstay their visas, or otherwise violate U.S. laws," according to the announcement.
Tiffany's proposal is in direct reaction to China's announcement, released Aug. 5, that the Chinese government will no longer cooperate with U.S. efforts to deport Chinese nationals who have broken U.S. laws. China's announcement was a reaction to the recent visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
“It makes no sense to continue granting visas to citizens of Communist China," Tiffany said in his statement, "knowing that we may never be able to remove them should they overstay or commit crimes in our communities.”
U.S. immigration laws allow the government to deny visas to citizens from countries that won't cooperate in deportations of problematic visitors, but administrations typically use that option strategically, the Washington Times reports.
"Refusing to issue short-term tourism or business visas to government officials and their families has been the most common use of 243(d)," the newspaper reported Aug. 5.
Jessica Vaughan, policy studies director at the Center for Immigration Studies, told the Washington Times that targeted visa denials works against countries like China, whose "elite members ... desperately want to come here to shop, to go to Las Vegas, to send their kids to our universities, and maybe even to work."
Tiffany criticized Pres. Joe Biden for not pursuing this recourse, his statement reports.
“Once again, the Biden administration is refusing to enforce a plainly worded provision of our immigration law,” Tiffany said in his announcement. “China’s rulers aren’t even pretending anymore – so what exactly is the Biden administration waiting for?”
Vaughan told the Washington Times that the situation is "an opportunity for the Biden administration to show it’s not going to be jerked around by China."
“They would very likely be swayed by even a very targeted suspension of visas," Vaughan said in the article.
The majority of Chinese nationals who apply for U.S. visas are approved, according to the U.S. Department of State (DOS). Between Fiscal Years 2006 and 2014, the number of Chinese nationals who were approved for non-immigrant visas increased by more than 462%, the DOS reports.
Tiffany's proposal would halt that increase.
“For years, Beijing has impeded our ability to send their criminal aliens home," Tiffany stated, "effectively treating our country as a dumping ground for their nationals who break American laws.”
