Animal Welfare Policy

Rep. Nancy Mace, R‑S.C., has introduced the 'Illegal Alien Animal Abuser Removal Act of 2026,' legislation that would make noncitizens convicted of animal cruelty or animal fighting both inadmissible to the United States and subject to deportation. The bill covers convictions under state, tribal and local laws, as well as specified federal animal‑welfare statutes, and would also allow inadmissibility if a noncitizen admits to conduct that would constitute such an offense. In a press release quoted by Fox News, Mace argued that people who enter the country illegally are 'already a criminal' and called animal cruelty a 'red flag for violence against people,' saying anyone who commits such acts should be 'on the next flight back.' She framed the measure as making clear that 'America will not be a sanctuary for animal abusers, especially ones who broke into our country illegally in the first place.' Mace, who has served in the House since 2021 and is running for South Carolina governor, is using the bill to fuse tough‑on‑crime and immigration messaging at a time when Republicans are pushing a slate of new deportability triggers tied to non‑immigration offenses.