A bill to make aliens associated with a criminal gang inadmissible, deportable, and ineligible for various forms of relief.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 5, 2017
This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to define "criminal gang."
An alien who is or was a member of a criminal gang, or who participated in gang activity knowing that such participation will promote the gang's illegal activity, shall be inadmissible and deportable.
The Department of Homeland Security may designate a group or association as a criminal gang.
Detention shall be mandatory for anyone found inadmissible or deportable for criminal street gang membership.
Individuals found inadmissible or deportable for criminal gang membership shall be barred from:
asylum;
withholding of removal;
temporary protected status;
special immigrant juvenile status;
deferred action; and
parole, unless assisting the United States in a law enforcement matter and required by the government to be present with respect to such assistance.
An alien found at a U.S. land border or port of entry who is determined to be inadmissible and a threat to public safety (certain criminals, terrorists, street gang members) shall be subject to expedited removal.
Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Explore the bill from different angles
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Neutral evidence review
Objective
Analyze S.52 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact
Progressive lens
Examine S.52 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope
Conservative lens
Examine S.52 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power
Liberty lens
Examine S.52 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.