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Nearly 200 House Democrats oppose legislation that will target criminal penalties Illegal immigration.
By R-Okla. A bill led by Rep. Stephanie Bice, called the Stop Illegal Entry Act, aims to fine hike two people who illegally enter the United States and those who commit felony crimes after illegal entry. It passed the house in a 226-197 vote Thursday, just before lawmakers left Washington weekend.
All 197 “no” votes were Democrats, while 11 Democrats voted with Republicans to pass the bill.
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DN.Y. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke at a weekly press conference in Washington, D.C. on May 13, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu/Getty Images)
“The Biden administration has brought more than 10 million illegal immigrants into the country and has failed to prosecute those who violate U.S. immigration laws. These people include countries designated as sponsors of terrorist countries, with 400 illegal foreigners. On the horror viewing list Meet at the border. We must block future illegal immigration and provide our law enforcement and border patrol personnel with the tools they need to hold dangerous criminals accountable. ” Bice told Fox News Digital.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, third-place Republican leader R-Minn. Criticizes Democrats who voted against the bill.
“House Democrats still seem to be getting orders for march from Joe Biden and his failed Border Czar Kamala Harris. Democrats illegally vote against common sense penalties for people entering our country, which shows that they have learned nothing since November,” Emmer told Fox News Digital. “They will continue to double the pitch of their anti-private foreigners, anti-U.S. agenda. ”
As the Minnesota Republican Party pointed out, border security and illegal immigration proved strong Republican problems in the 2024 election.
R-Okla. Rep. Stephanie Bice leads the House legislation. (Anna Moneymaker)
Bice’s bill would sentence people who illegally enter the United States and subsequently convicted of felony crimes to five years in prison.
This will also increase the maximum sentence for illegal entry from two years to five years, while increasing the maximum term for illegal persons, although previously denied to enter two to ten years.
Among the Democrats who supported the bill was moderate Rep. Laura Gillen, who called the legislation “common sense” in a statement to the media.
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Laura Gillen, then the fourth New York congressional candidate, filmed on October 17, 2024 in Hempstead, New York. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
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“Americans overwhelmingly agree that violent criminals without legal status have no status in our country and are responsible for the full responsibility of the immigration laws of our country,” Gillen said.
“The inaction of the last government on the border has led to a full-scale crisis that has drained taxpayers’ wallets and has made our communities less secure.”
The remaining 10 Democrats who voted to pass the bill were: Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, Don Davis, DN.C., Jared Golden, D-Maine, Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, D-Texas, Adam Gray, D-Calif, D-Calif. Tom Suozzi and Dn.M. Gabe Vasquez of DN.Y.
Fox News Radio’s Ryan Schmelz contributed to the report.
