New BOWOW Act Links Harming Federal Working Animals to Permanent Deportation and Entry Bans

The “Bill to Outlaw Wounding of Official Working Animals Act”—or the BOWOW Act for short—is making waves in immigration law. This bill doesn’t create a new crime, but it significantly ups the ante for non-citizens who mess with official working animals used by federal law enforcement. Essentially, it takes an existing federal law about harming police dogs or horses and attaches the harshest possible immigration consequences to it.

The New Rules for Entry: Making it Stick

Under this bill, if you are not a U.S. citizen and you have been convicted of, or even just admit to committing, the acts that constitute the crime of harming a federal law enforcement animal (as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1368), you are now permanently barred from entering the United States. This is a new reason for inadmissibility added to Section 212(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Think of it like this: if you’ve ever had a run-in with the law involving a K-9 unit or a border patrol horse, and you’re not a citizen, that incident could now be a permanent black mark preventing you from ever getting a green card or visa.

Deportation: No Second Chances

For non-citizens already living here, the consequences are just as serious. The BOWOW Act also makes the same behavior—conviction or admission of harming a federal working animal—a new ground for deportation (removal) under Section 237(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This means that if a non-citizen is found to have committed this act, they become removable, regardless of how long they have lived in the U.S. or their current immigration status. The goal here is clearly to create a strong deterrent against interfering with these animals, recognizing their importance to federal operations.

The 'Admission' Clause: Where the Rubber Meets the Road

While linking a criminal conviction to deportation is standard practice, the bill’s reliance on an “admission” is where things get tricky. It means that even if a formal conviction never happens—maybe the charges were dropped or plea-bargained down—if a non-citizen admits during an immigration proceeding to having committed the essential acts of the crime, they can still face deportation or inadmissibility. For the average person, this highlights the huge difference between criminal court and immigration court: in immigration proceedings, what you say can be used against you to trigger the most severe penalties, even without a jury trial or formal conviction. It puts a lot of weight on statements made during interviews or detention, which is something non-citizens would need to be acutely aware of if this bill becomes law.