May 15, 2026
Mr. Burchett (for himself and Mr. Moore of Alabama) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that aliens who have been convicted of or who have committed an offense that violates certain State or Federal hunting or fishing laws are inadmissible and deportable.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Deporting Illegal Poachers Act
.
Sec. 2. Inadmissibility and deportability related to hunting and fishing violations
(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 new subparagraph:
(J) Violation of hunting or fishing laws
Any alien who has been convicted of, who admits having committed, or who admits committing acts which constitute the essential elements of a violation of any Federal or State law relating to—
(i)
hunting, trapping, or fishing without a valid license or permit required under such law; or
(ii)
illegal hunting or fishing (including taking wildlife or fish in violation of season, bag limit, method, location, or protected species rules),
as those terms are defined under the law of the jurisdiction where the conviction, offense, or acts constituting the essential elements of the offense occurred, without regard to whether the conviction or offense is classified as a misdemeanor or felony under Federal, 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 new subparagraph:
(G) Violation of hunting or fishing laws
Any alien who has been convicted of a violation described in section 212(a)(2)(J) is deportable.