Law passed in 1993 – a United States citizen holding gold in the form of bullion or coins is a crime punishable bu imprisonment

A: “Crime that ………..hold” – The correct usage is “crime for…………to hold” – Hence this answer choice is incorrect

B: “with: in this sentence seems to imply that immigrants arrived with the law in their hands. Hence this answer choice is incorrect

C: Implies that the immigrants themselves are “a law passed in 1993”. Hence this answer choice is incorrect

D: “Because of a law” – “a law” is a noun and the subsequent modifier “making it a crime…” modifies “law”. This answer choice also fixes the errors in the other answer choices and conveys the intended meaning. Hence this is the correct answer.

E:  Changes the meaning of the sentence: It says that the immigrants found themselves in this unenviable situation not because of the law itself, but because of the passing of the law. This is not the intent of the original sentence. Hence this answer choice is incorrect