Terrorist Inadmissibility Codification Act

The Terrorist Inadmissibility Codification Act would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to broaden who is deemed to be “engaged in terrorist activity” for purposes of determining admissibility to the United States. Specifically, it would expand the grounds of inadmissibility to include officers, officials, representatives, spokespersons, and members of Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda, Palestine Islamic Jihad, and ISIS, as well as individuals who endorse or espouse terrorist activities conducted by these groups. The change would replace a narrower reference (previously tied to the Palestine Liberation Organization) with a broader list that includes these organizations, their successors or affiliates, and those who endorse or espouse their activities. The bill is introduced but not yet enacted, and would be applied through the INA’s existing framework for denying entry to such individuals. The bill’s core effect is to codify a broader, explicit category of aliens who would be ineligible for admission to the United States based on their association with or endorsement of designated terrorist organizations.