Title 8 — Aliens and Nationality
Part VIII · Chapter 12 — Immigration and Nationality
§ 1328. Importation of alien for immoral purpose
Statutory text
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.
Legislative history
Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.
Pub. L. 82–477 · 66 Stat. 609
Enacted · 8 U.S.C. § 1328
June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title II, ch. 8, § 278, 66 Stat. 230
Source evidence
Code source credit
June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title II, ch. 8, § 278, 66 Stat. 230Immigration Act of 1990
Pub. L. 101–649 title V § 543(b)(5) · 104 Stat. 4978
Substituted · 8 U.S.C. § 1328
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”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
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”.Enacted provision · exact public law section
(5) Importing prostitutes.— Section 278 (8 U.S.C. 1328) is amended by striking “shall, in every” and all that follows through “ten years” and inserting “shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both”.Effective date note
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.
1 of 2 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1990—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 , see section 543(c) of Pub. L. 101–649, set out as a note under section 1221 of this title.
Credits
1952–1990 · 2 acts
- 1952June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title II, ch. 8, § 278, 66 Stat. 230
- 1990Pub. L. 101–649, title V, § 543(b)(5), , 104 Stat. 5059.
Show as published
(June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title II, ch. 8, § 278, 66 Stat. 230; Pub. L. 101–649, title V, § 543(b)(5), , 104 Stat. 5059.)