House Democrats Vote Against Harsher Penalities for Illegal Immigrant Felons

Last week, 197 House Democrats, including Susie Lee (NV) and Derek Tran (CA), voted against the Stop Illegal Entry Act, a bill to harshen prison sentences for illegal immigrants convicted of repeatedly entering the United States illegally or entering the country and committing a felony.

“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 increases the maximum term of imprisonment from two to five years for repeated improper entry and 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,” Fox News reported.

Rep. Stephanie Bice, (R-OK) sponsored the bill, stating after its passage, “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.”

Eleven Democrats from GOP targeted districts, including Adam Gray (CA),  joined their Republican colleagues to pass the bill in a 226-197 vote. For background, the “toss-up’ race between Gray and incumbent Republican Congressman John Duarte was decided in Gray’s favor by a mere 142 votes as ballots were continually counted for a month after Election Day.

Nevada, a swing state with a Democrat majority legislature, has one of the highest illegal immigrant populations in the U.S. According to estimates, 10 percent of Nevada’s population of 3.2 million residents are illegal immigrants.

In May and August, the Trump Administration designated Nevada as a “sanctuary jurisdiction.” In August, President Trump signed an executive order that withholds federal funding to states that do not uphold federal immigration law or cooperate with ICE.

Governor Joe Lombardo (R-NV), former Clark County Sheriff,  pushed back on the designation and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded that it would rejoin the 287 (g) program that deputizes local law enforcement to perform federal immigration enforcement functions.

Rep. Tran’s vote is also newsworthy since Senator Ted Cruz’s companion legislation in the Senate is called Kate’s law, named after Kate Steinle, who was murdered in 2015 in San Francisco by an illegal immigrant with multiple, prior deportations.

Tran has also cosponsored H.R.4176, the “No Secret Police Act of 2025” which removes identity protections, like masks, that ICE personnel wear to prevent being doxed. Rep. Dave Min (D-CA) joined Tran as a cosponsor. Both Min and Tran also voted against a bill that would deport illegal immigrants with DUIs.

The Globe reached out to Rep. Lee’s office for comment. The story will be updated with her comment when and if received.