WASHINGTON, D.C. – US Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined by Senators Cotton (R-Ark), Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Ernst (R-Iowa), Barrasso (R-Wyo. .) and Rubio (R-Fla.), today introduced the Visa Enforcement and Restrictions on Entry Act of 2022 (SEVER Act) to prevent Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi from entering the United States to attend the upcoming opening session of the United Nations General Assembly people.
“Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi would already be barred from entering the United States for the UN General Assembly if President Biden and his administration were to enforce existing statutes in good faith. Raisi has a record of terrorist activities, including his advocacy of the assassination of President Trump and other US officials. He is also listed by the State Department as ineligible for entry into the United States due to the mass crimes he has committed. Still, the Biden administration appears poised to circumvent those restrictions.
“The SEVER Act will bar entry to Raisi and several dozen individuals hand-picked by the Ayatollah to oppress the Iranian people and pose a threat to American national security, to ensure they cannot enter the United States. It is within the rights of the United States to deny them entry, and we absolutely should.”
