Only 15 Democrats were willing to vote with Republicans on Thursday on a measure that would make non-citizens who harmed police animals — such as dogs or horses — either inadmissible or subject to deportation.
The BOWOW Act passed the U.S. House on Thursday by a margin of 228-190, with every Republican voting in favor of the legislation. It will head to the Senate next.
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) introduced the bill in June of 2025 “after Freddie, a Customs and Border Patrol agriculture detector dog, was assaulted in June by a non-citizen from Egypt” — and the House Judiciary Committee voted to advance the measure in November.
“I appreciate my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee advancing the BOWOW Act and joining me in standing up for our law enforcement animals who help keep Americans safe. Coming to America is a privilege, not a right. Anyone who assaults an animal, like Freddie, simply has no place in our country,” Calvert said at the time.
The purpose of the bill, according to its official description, is “to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to deem any alien who has been convicted of or admits to harming a federal law enforcement animal as inadmissible and deportable.”
The bill would affect non-citizens who were convicted under 18 U.S.C. 1368 — which pertains to the abuse of animals used in federal law enforcement such as service dogs and horses — or those who have admitted to assaulting such animals. Anyone who fit that description would either be inadmissible to the United States or subject to deportation.
The 15 Democrats who voted in favor of the bill were as follows: Reps. Henry Cuellar (TX), Sharice Davids (KS), Don Davis (NC), John Garamendi (CA), Jared Golden (ME), Vicente Gonzalez (TX), Josh Gottheimer (NJ), Adam Gray (CA), Chrissy Houlahan (PA), Greg Landsman (OH), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), Josh Riley (NY), Eric Sorensen (IL), Tom Suozzi (NY), and Eugene Vindman (VA).
Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA), in his first vote since leaving the Republican Party, also voted with the Republicans in favor of the measure.
