The House on Thursday approved legislation that would significantly increase criminal penalties for people who enter the United States unlawfully and for those convicted of felonies after illegal entry, clearing the chamber 226-197 in a vote that split largely along party lines.
The Republican-authored Stop Illegal Entry Act, led by Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., passed just before lawmakers left Washington for the weekend. All 197 votes against the bill were cast by House Democrats; 11 Democrats joined Republicans in voting to advance the measure.
Under the bill, a person who illegally enters the country and is later convicted of a felony would face a mandatory sentence ranging from five years to life in prison. The measure would also increase the maximum prison term for illegal entry from two years to five years and raise the maximum for repeat entrants who previously had been denied entry from two years to 10 years.
Sponsor Bice defended the measure in remarks to reporters and in statements circulated by Republican outlets, saying the Biden administration had allowed "over 10 million illegal immigrants into the country" and had not prosecuted many who broke immigration laws. Bice also said law enforcement had encountered about 400 illegal entrants on the Terrorist Watch List at the border. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., criticized Democrats who opposed the bill, saying they had failed to respond to border security concerns exposed in the 2024 elections.
A group of Democrats who supported the bill included moderate Rep. Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., who described the legislation as "commonsense" and said "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 nation’s immigration laws." The other Democrats who joined Republicans were Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas; Don Davis of North Carolina; Jared Golden of Maine; Vicente Gonzalez of Texas; Adam Gray of California; Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan; Frank Mrvan of Indiana; Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington; Tom Suozzi of New York; and Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where its prospects are uncertain. If approved by the Senate, it would require the president’s signature to become law.
Supporters argued the measure would provide law enforcement and border agents with stronger tools to deter illegal entry and punish those who commit serious crimes after entering the country unlawfully. Opponents, as reflected in the party-line vote, argued against the measure on a range of policy and enforcement grounds, and Democratic leaders had urged colleagues to oppose the legislation.
The vote comes amid sustained political debate over border policy and immigration enforcement, topics that were central to the 2024 election cycle and remain a key fault line between the parties in Congress. The House action is likely to rekindle partisan debate on Capitol Hill and in campaigns ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.