§ 2730. Prohibition on funding the involuntary return of refugees

(a) Prohibition

(1) In general

Except as provided in paragraph (2), none of the funds made available to the Department of State, or the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund established in section 2601(c) of this title, may be available to effect the involuntary return by the United States of any person to a country in which the person has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

(2) Exception

The prohibition in paragraph (1) does not apply to the return of any person on grounds recognized as precluding protection as a refugee under the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of July 28, 1951, and the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees of January 31, 1967, subject to the reservations contained in the United States Senate resolution of advice and consent to ratification of the Protocol.

(b) Congressional notification required in all cases

None of the funds made available to the Department of State, or the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund established in section 2601(c) of this title, may be available to effect the involuntary return by the United States of any person to any country unless the Secretary first notifies the appropriate congressional committees, except that, in the case of an emergency involving a threat to human life, the Secretary shall notify the appropriate congressional committees as soon as practicable.

(c) Statutory construction

Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting activities of the Department of State that relate to removal proceedings under the Immigration and Nationality Act [8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.] or extradition.

(d) Definitions In this section:

(1) Appropriate congressional committees

The term “appropriate congressional committees” means the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives.

(2) To effect the involuntary return

The term “to effect the involuntary return” means to require, by means of physical force or circumstances amounting to a threat thereof, a person to return to a country against the person’s will, regardless of whether the person is physically present in the United States and regardless of whether the United States acts directly or through an agent.

(Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 841, title I, § 58, as added Pub. L. 107–228, div. A, title II, § 241, Sept. 30, 2002, 116 Stat. 1373.)

References In Text

References in Text

The Immigration and Nationality Act, referred to in subsec. (c), is act June 27, 1952, ch. 477, 66 Stat. 163, as amended, which is classified principally to chapter 12 (§ 1101 et seq.) of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1101 of Title 8 and Tables.

Change Of Name

Change of Name

Committee on International Relations of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Foreign Affairs of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Jan. 5, 2007.