The importation into the United States of any alien for the purpose of prostitution, or for any other immoral purpose, is forbidden. Whoever shall, directly or indirectly, import, or attempt to import into the United States any alien for the purpose of prostitution or for any other immoral purpose, or shall hold or attempt to hold any alien for any such purpose in pursuance of such illegal importation, or shall keep, maintain, control, support, employ, or harbor in any house or other place, for the purpose of prostitution or for any other immoral purpose, any alien, in pursuance of such illegal importation, shall be fined under title 18, or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both. The trial and punishment of offenses under this section may be in any district to or into which such alien is brought in pursuance of importation by the person or persons accused, or in any district in which a violation of any of the provisions of this section occurs. In all prosecutions under this section, the testimony of a husband or wife shall be admissible and competent evidence against each other.
8 U.S.C. § 1328
EDITORIAL NOTES
AMENDMENTS1990- Pub. L. 101-649 substituted "shall be fined under title 18, or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both" for "shall, in every such case, be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000 and by imprisonment for a term of not more than ten years".
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1990 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 101-649 applicable to actions taken after Nov. 29, 1990, see section 543(c) of Pub. L. 101-649 set out as a note under section 1221 of this title.
- alien
- The term "alien" means any person not a citizen or national of the United States.
- conviction
- The term "conviction" means, with respect to an alien, a formal judgment of guilt of the alien entered by a court or, if adjudication of guilt has been withheld, where-(i) a judge or jury has found the alien guilty or the alien has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or has admitted sufficient facts to warrant a finding of guilt, and(ii) the judge has ordered some form of punishment, penalty, or restraint on the alien's liberty to be imposed.
- person
- The term "person" means an individual or an organization.