The House of Representatives passed H.R. 4638, the Federal Working Animal Protection Act, on Mar. 19 with a vote of 228 to 190. The bill, introduced by Congressman Ken Calvert, aims to protect animals used by federal law enforcement agencies.
The legislation was prompted after an incident last June in which Freddie, a Customs and Border Patrol agriculture detector dog, was assaulted by a non-citizen from Egypt. The act would make assaulting an animal used by federal law enforcement a deportable offense under Section 237(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It would also render applicants with such offenses inadmissible to the United States under Section 212(a)(2) of the same act.
“I appreciate my House colleagues passing the Federal Working Animal Protection Act and joining me in standing up for our law enforcement animals who help keep Americans safe,” said Rep. Ken Calvert. “Coming to America is a privilege, not a right. Anyone who assaults a law enforcement animal, like Freddie, simply has no place in our country. Animals like Freddie work to keep us safe, so it’s only right for us to take steps to protect them.”
Calvert has served in the U.S. Congress representing California’s 41st District since 1993 according to official records. He was born in Corona, California in 1953 and currently resides there as reported by the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Calvert graduated from San Diego State University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree according to his official biography.
The passage of this bill highlights ongoing efforts within Congress to address crimes involving federal law enforcement animals and signals potential changes for immigration-related offenses tied to such acts.
