The legislation creates clear grounds of inadmissibility and deportability for aliens who are members of criminal gangs or who have promoted, aided, conspired with, or participated in gang activities. It provides immigration authorities with the tools necessary to act before these individuals commit additional crimes on American soil rather than waiting until innocent Americans suffer the consequences.
 

This legislation also establishes a clear statutory definition of a criminal gang.  The offenses covered under that definition are not minor infractions.  They include drug trafficking, firearms offenses, crimes of violence, human trafficking, identity theft, money laundering, alien smuggling, and other serious criminal conduct.  These are the very activities that fuel organized criminal enterprises and threaten public safety throughout the nation.
 

The legislation closes loopholes that allow gang members to obtain immigration benefits that were never intended to protect violent criminals.  Under this legislation, gang members would be ineligible for asylum, temporary protected status, special immigrant juvenile status, and various other forms of immigration relief.  These humanitarian protections were created to assist vulnerable individuals fleeing persecution or hardship; not to provide safe haven for members of organized criminal enterprises.