§618 — Title 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse | U.S. Code

Summary

Willfully breaking the rules or lying in registration papers given to the Attorney General can lead to serious penalties. A person can be fined up to $10,000, go to prison for up to five years, or both. For violations of subsection (b), (e), or (f) of section 614 or of subsection (g) or (h) here, the maximum penalty is a $5,000 fine or up to six months in jail, or both. An alien convicted of these crimes can be removed from the United States under chapter 4 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.). The government does not always have to prove the exact identity of a foreign principal in cases about acting for someone abroad. Not filing a required registration or its updates counts as a continuing offense for as long as the failure continues. The Attorney General can ask a federal court to stop people from breaking the rules or to force them to follow the rules. If the Attorney General writes to tell a registrant that their filing is deficient, the person cannot act as the foreign principal’s agent ten days after getting that notice unless they file a corrected registration. Agents may not have pay or fees that depend on whether their political activities succeed.

Title 22, §618

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any person who—

(1)willfully violates any provision of this subchapter or any regulation thereunder, or

(2)in any registration statement or supplement thereto or in any other document filed with or furnished to the Attorney General under the provisions of this subchapter willfully makes a false statement of a material fact or willfully omits any material fact required to be stated therein or willfully omits a material fact or a copy of a material document necessary to make the statements therein and the copies of documents furnished therewith not misleading, shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for not more than five years, or both, except that in the case of a violation of subsection (b), (e), or (f) of section 614 of this title or of subsection (g) or (h) of this section the punishment shall be a fine of not more than $5,000 or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.

(b)In any proceeding under this subchapter in which it is charged that a person is an agent of a foreign principal with respect to a foreign principal outside of the United States, proof of the specific identity of the foreign principal shall be permissible but not necessary.

(c)Any alien who shall be convicted of a violation of, or a conspiracy to violate, any provision of this subchapter or any regulation thereunder shall be subject to removal pursuant to chapter 4 of title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act [8 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.].

(d)

(e)Failure to file any such registration statement or supplements thereto as is required by either section 612(a) or section 612(b) of this title shall be considered a continuing offense for as long as such failure exists, notwithstanding any statute of limitation or other statute to the contrary.

(f)Whenever in the judgment of the Attorney General any person is engaged in or about to engage in any acts which constitute or will constitute a violation of any provision of this subchapter, or regulations issued thereunder, or whenever any agent of a foreign principal fails to comply with any of the provisions of this subchapter or the regulations issued thereunder, or otherwise is in violation of the subchapter, the Attorney General may make application to the appropriate United States district court for an order enjoining such acts or enjoining such person from continuing to act as an agent of such foreign principal, or for an order requiring compliance with any appropriate provision of the subchapter or regulation thereunder. The district court shall have jurisdiction and authority to issue a temporary or permanent injunction, restraining order or such other order which it may deem proper.

(g)If the Attorney General determines that a registration statement does not comply with the requirements of this subchapter or the regulations issued thereunder, he shall so notify the registrant in writing, specifying in what respects the statement is deficient. It shall be unlawful for any person to act as an agent of a foreign principal at any time ten days or more after receipt of such notification without filing an amended registration statement in full compliance with the requirements of this subchapter and the regulations issued thereunder.

(h)It shall be unlawful for any agent of a foreign principal required to register under this subchapter to be a party to any contract, agreement, or understanding, either express or implied, with such foreign principal pursuant to which the amount or payment of the compensation, fee, or other remuneration of such agent is contingent in whole or in part upon the success of any political activities carried on by such agent.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Immigration and Nationality Act, referred to in subsec. (c), is act June 27, 1952, ch. 477, 66 Stat. 163. Chapter 4 of title II of the Act is classified generally to part IV (§ 1221 et seq.) of subchapter II of chapter 12 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.

Prior Provisions

Provisions on this subject were contained in section 615 of this title prior to general amendment of act June 8, 1938, by act Apr. 29, 1942.

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–208 substituted “removal pursuant to chapter 4 of title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act” for “deportation in the manner provided by sections 1251 to 1253 of title 8”. 1995—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 104–65, § 9(8)(A), struck out “or in any statement under section 614(a) of this title concerning the distribution of political propaganda” after “or supplement thereto”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–65, § 9(8)(B), struck out subsec. (d) which read as follows: “The United States Postal Service may declare to be nonmailable any communication or expression falling within clause (2) of section 611(j) of this title in the form of prints or in any other form reasonably adapted to, or reasonably appearing to be intended for, dissemination or circulation among two or more persons, which is offered or caused to be offered for transmittal in the United States mails to any person or persons in any other American republic by any agent of a foreign principal, if the United States Postal Service is informed in writing by the Secretary of State that the duly accredited diplomatic representative of such American republic has made written representation to the Department of State that the admission or circulation of such communication or expression in such American republic is prohibited by the laws thereof and has requested in writing that its transmittal thereto be stopped.” 1984—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 98–620 struck out provision that the proceedings shall be made a preferred cause and expedited in every way. 1966—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 89–486, § 7(1), inserted exception provision. Subsecs. (f) to (h). Pub. L. 89–486, § 7(2), added subsecs. (f) to (h). 1956—Act Aug. 1, 1956, amended credit to section by redesignating section 20(b) of act Sept. 23, 1950, as section 20. 1952—Subsec. (c). Act June 27, 1952, substituted “sections 1251 to 1253 of title 8” for “section 155 and 156 of title 8”. 1950—Subsec. (e). Act Sept. 23, 1950, added subsec. (e).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–208 effective, with certain transitional provisions, on the first day of the first month beginning more than 180 days after Sept. 30, 1996, see section 309 of Pub. L. 104–208, set out as a note under section 1101 of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality.

Effective Date

of 1995 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–65 effective Jan. 1, 1996, except as otherwise provided, see section 24 of Pub. L. 104–65, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 1601 of Title 2, The Congress.

Effective Date

of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–620 not applicable to cases pending on Nov. 8, 1984, see section 403 of Pub. L. 98–620, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 1657 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Effective Date

of 1966 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 89–486 effective ninety days after July 4, 1966, see section 9 of Pub. L. 89–486, set out as a note under section 611 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective on the sixtieth day after Apr. 29, 1942, except that prior to such sixtieth day the Attorney General may make, prescribe, amend, and rescind such rules,

Regulations

, and forms as may be necessary to carry out act Apr. 29, 1942, see section 3 of act Apr. 29, 1942, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1942 Amendment note under section 611 of this title.

§618 Enforcement and penalties

Summary

Title 22, §618

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References in Text

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Regulations

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