In a significant legislative move, the House of Representatives passed the "Stop Illegal Entry Act," a bill spearheaded by Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., designed to impose stricter penalties on individuals who unlawfully enter the United States and subsequently commit felonies.
The bill secured passage with a 226-197 vote, reflecting a stark partisan divide as nearly 200 Democrats opposed the measure. Notably, 11 Democrats broke ranks to support the legislation alongside their Republican counterparts.
According to Fox News, the bill's passage comes amid heightened concerns over border security and illegal immigration, issues that have been central to Republican discourse. Rep. Bice emphasized the urgency of the legislation, stating, "The Biden Administration let over 10 million illegal immigrants into the country and failed to prosecute those who defied U.S. immigration law.
These individuals included people from countries designated as state sponsors of terror, with 400 illegal aliens on the Terrorist Watch List being encountered at the border. We must deter future illegal immigration and give our law enforcement and border patrol officers the tools they need to hold dangerous criminals accountable."
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., criticized the Democrats' opposition, attributing it to allegiance to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. "House Democrats seem to still be taking their marching orders from Joe Biden and his failed Border Czar Kamala Harris.
The fact that Democrats voted against commonsense penalties for people entering our nation illegally just goes to show that theyve learned nothing since November," Emmer remarked to Fox News Digital.
He further accused Democrats of perpetuating a "pro-illegal alien, anti-American agenda."
The bill proposes stringent penalties, including a mandatory sentence ranging from five years to life imprisonment for illegal entrants convicted of felonies. It also seeks to elevate the maximum prison term for illegal entry from two to five years and extends the penalty for those re-entering after prior denial from two to ten years.
Among the Democrats who supported the bill was Rep. Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., who described the legislation as "commonsense." She asserted, "Americans overwhelmingly agree that violent criminals without legal status have no place in our country and should be held accountable to the full extent of our nations immigration laws."
Gillen also criticized the previous administration's handling of border issues, which she claimed resulted in a crisis that burdened taxpayers and compromised community safety.
The other Democrats who voted in favor of the bill include Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, Don Davis, D-N.C., Jared Golden, D-Maine, Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, Adam Gray, D-Calif., Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Mich., Frank Mrvan, D-Ind., Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., and Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M.
This legislative development underscores the ongoing debate over immigration policy, with Republicans advocating for stronger enforcement measures and Democrats largely opposing such initiatives. As the nation grapples with the complexities of immigration reform, the passage of the "Stop Illegal Entry Act" marks a pivotal moment in the broader discourse surrounding border security and national sovereignty.
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