House passes bill to increase penalties for illegal entry into US

Chris Johnson, CQ-Roll Call on Sep 11, 2025

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WASHINGTON — The House passed a bill Thursday with some bipartisan support that would boost prison sentences for migrants convicted of repeatedly entering the United States illegally or entering the country and committing a felony.

Eleven Democrats joined Republicans in a 226-197 vote to pass the legislation, which is part of a wider tough-on-immigration push from President Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers.

Among other changes, the bill would set a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years, and allow up to a life sentence, for migrants who either improperly enter or attempt to improperly enter the United States and then are convicted of a felony. The bill also would increase the maximum term of imprisonment from two to five years for repeated improper entry.

Oklahoma Republican Rep. Stephanie Bice, who sponsored the bill, issued a statement after the vote that the measure is necessary to respond to the immigration policies of former President Joe Biden, whom conservatives have criticized for allowing an influx of migrants into the United States.

“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,” Bice said. “We must deter future illegal immigration and give our law enforcement and border patrol officers the tools they need to remove dangerous criminals.”

All 11 Democrats who voted for the bill represent battleground seats and are Republican targets next year. They were Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas; Don Davis of North Carolina; Laura Gillen of New York; Jared Golden of Maine; Vicente Gonzalez of Texas; Adam Gray of California; Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan; Frank J. Mrvan of Indiana; Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez of Washington; Tom Suozzi of New York; and Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico.

Democrats who opposed the measure said penalties are already in place for migrants who commit felonies in the United States and the legislation would bolster the harsh immigration policies of the Trump administration.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said in floor remarks that migrants who enter the country and commit heinous crimes already face state penalties such as life in prison and the death penalty.

“I understand that it might be satisfying for us to say we’re just going to increase all these penalties, but we’re not in any way connecting with the worst of the worst,” Raskin said. “What are we really doing? We’re saying that we’re going to hold people who have done nothing other than enter the country illegally for much longer periods of time, for five or 10 years. And again, we see this as very wasteful in terms of public tax dollars.”

The bill also has provisions to increase prison sentences for migrants convicted of reentry after they have been removed multiple times from the United States, or who were convicted of crimes before their removal.

Rep. Brad Knott of North Carolina, a Republican and member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in floor remarks that the legislation “profoundly enables law enforcement to protect us” from crimes perpetuated by those who enter the United States illegally.

“No matter the type or category, all crime is made worse by illegal immigration,” Knott said. “Theft, assault, murder, drug trafficking, human trafficking, violent crime, property crime, you name it. Illegal immigration makes it worse. What is perhaps most unfortunate is that many of the worst offenders in this specific category return to the United States after being deported due to gaps in the current immigration law.”

Knott, a former prosecutor, said he saw in that role that the deportation process alone was insufficient to stop migrants who seek to come into the United States for illegal purposes.

“I have investigated, tried and convicted many individuals who have been deported two times, three times, four times, and some even beyond 10 times, yet they continue to illegally return with the sole intent,” Knott said.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where Republicans have a 53-vote majority but need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster on legislation. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has introduced a companion bill, also known as Kate’s Law. That measure is named after Kate Steinle, who was killed in 2015 in San Francisco by an undocumented immigrant with multiple prior deportations.

The Senate in January voted 64-35 to pass other legislation that would take a tougher approach to migrants who enter the United States illegally, which Trump signed into law later that month. That legislation, the Laken Riley Act, imposed mandatory detention for foreign nationals who are in the United States and arrested for a range of crimes, including burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting or assault of a law enforcement officer.

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