House Lawmakers Vote on Mace Bill to Deport Non-Citizens Convicted of Harming Police Dogs

CBO expects "only a few" additional deportations from the police-animal bill because harming law enforcement animals can already trigger removal under current law

H.R. 4638 passed the House 228–190 with 15 Democrats voting yes; H.R. 7544 has zero cosponsors and remains in committee

22,418 animal cruelty offenses were reported to the FBI in 2023, up from 16,573 in 2021 — but the increase may partly reflect more agencies reporting

A 1997 study found animal abusers were 5x more likely to commit violent crimes against humans; the FBI calls animal cruelty a predictor of human violence

A national survey of 43,093 U.S. adults found U.S.-born residents were roughly twice as likely as foreign-born residents to self-report animal cruelty