Nearly 200 House Democrats opposed a bill increasing penalties for migrants illegally entering the United States.
The legislation passed the House 226-197 last week. Every “no” vote came from a Democrat.
“The Biden Administration let over 10 million illegal immigrants into the country and failed to prosecute those who defied U.S. immigration law,” Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) said in a statement. “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.”
“This is why I was proud to see my colleagues vote to pass the Stop Illegal Entry Act. This legislation increases penalties for illegal aliens who re-enter the United States, as well as those in the United States who have committed felonies. President Trump has delivered on his promise to secure the border, but we have more work to do to safeguard and protect our communities. This is another step in the right direction,” she said.
President Trump backs the bill. According to a statement from the Office of Management and Budget, if the bill “were presented to the President in its current form, his advisors would recommend that he sign it into law.”
“HR 3486 will help discourage the most dangerous criminals from trying to enter, or re-enter, our country by increasing severe criminal and financial penalties,” the office said. “Specifically, the bill would raise the maximum penalty from two years to five years of imprisonment for any illegal alien convicted of reentering the United States.”
