New 'BOWOW Act' Ties Harming Federal Working Animals Directly to Deportation and Visa Denial

The aptly named Bill to Outlaw Wounding of Official Working Animals Act of 2025, or the BOWOW Act, isn't just about protecting K-9 units and other federal working animals; it’s a major shift in immigration policy. This bill takes the existing federal crime of harming animals used in law enforcement (18 U.S.C. 1368) and links it directly to severe immigration consequences.

The New Grounds for Entry Denial

Section 2 of the BOWOW Act amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to create mandatory new grounds for both inadmissibility and deportability. If you’re a noncitizen, and you’ve been convicted of, or even just admit to committing, acts that constitute harming a federal law enforcement animal, you could be barred from entering the U.S. (inadmissible) under Section 212(a)(2) of the INA. Think of this as putting a specific criminal act on the list of things that automatically get your visa application or green card renewal denied.

When Protection Becomes Deportation

This bill doesn't stop at barring entry; it also creates a new trigger for removal. Under the amended Section 237(a)(2) of the INA, a noncitizen who is already living here—whether on a temporary visa or as a lawful permanent resident—becomes deportable if they are convicted of, or admit to committing, the essential elements of harming a federal working animal. For example, if a permanent resident is convicted of intentionally injuring a Border Patrol K-9 during an incident, that conviction could now be the direct cause for them being put into removal proceedings. This is a big deal because it takes a specific criminal offense and attaches the most severe penalty the immigration system can deliver: forced removal from the country.

The Real-World Impact of an Admission

One detail that often gets overlooked in these amendments is the inclusion of the phrase "admit having committed." This means that even without a formal conviction, if a noncitizen admits during an immigration interview or proceeding that they committed the acts that constitute harming the animal, they could still face inadmissibility or deportation. This provision is designed to strengthen deterrence and protection for federal working animals, which is a clear benefit to the law enforcement agencies that rely on them. However, for noncitizens, it means that an offense that might otherwise result in a fine or short jail sentence now carries the potential for permanent separation from family and life in the U.S. The severity of the immigration consequence is now tied directly to the criminal act, making the stakes incredibly high in any interaction involving these animals.