SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The House passed legislation Thursday that would create harsher prison sentences for immigrants who repeatedly enter the United States without permission or documentation, advancing the measure to the Senate with some bipartisan support.
The "Stop Illegal Entry Act of 2025" passed by a vote of 226 to 197, with 11 Democrats joining Republicans to support the legislation. The bill would establish a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence and allow for life sentences in certain cases.
Under the proposed law, individuals who enter the country illegally or attempt to do so and are then convicted of a felony would face a minimum five-year prison term and a maximum of a life sentence, depending on the crime. The legislation also increases the maximum prison term for repeated illegal re-entry from two years to five years.
Pedro Rios, an immigrants' rights advocate, criticized the measure as ineffective and costly.
"It's just not the most effective way of dealing with immigration matters," Rios said. "It's an extremely expensive venture to hold people, and the taxpayer paying for people's detention."
The bill's sponsor argues the legislation is necessary to deter future illegal immigration and respond to Biden-era immigration policies.
Among local representatives, Rep. Darrell Issa voted in favor of the bill, calling it "a solid addition to the transformative change President Trump has delivered since day one." Democrat representatives Juan Vargas, Scott Peters, and Mike Levin voted against the measure.
In individual statements, the three Democrats cited concerns about taxpayer costs, the need for comprehensive immigration reform and noted that penalties already exist for people who commit serious crimes in the country.
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Below you can read the congressmembers' full statements on the bill's passing:
“Penalties are already in place for people who commit serious crimes in this country. But this bill explodes the length of prison sentences for people who have done nothing other than enter the U.S. without permission. We need real immigration reform. Locking people away for years on end just for seeking safety is not the path forward.” - Rep. Juan Vargas
“The work of cleaning up after the open borders and soft-on-crime immigration policies of the Biden Administration continued today with a bipartisan vote in the House, and it will be a solid addition to the transformative change President Trump has delivered since day one. While he has returned order to the border, restored the credibility of our immigration laws, and deported thousands of criminal illegals, there is still much left to do. And we are up to the task.” - Rep. Darrell Issa
"“I support a secure border and believe we should penalize and deport convicted, violent criminals who are undocumented. I voted against the Stop Illegal Entry Act because the violations laid out in the bill are already crimes under federal law. The mandatory minimum penalties in this bill will strip judges of critical discretion to impose sentences that fit the circumstances of the case before them. We cannot rubber-stamp the Trump Administration’s reprehensible treatment of immigrants who contribute to our country with this legislation.” - Rep. Scott Peters
“I voted against the bill because, among many concerns, it does not include protections for DACA recipients, ignores prosecutorial discretion, and will cost taxpayers exorbitant amounts of money. We need bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform. That’s why I support the Dignity Act which provides pathways to legal status, increases support for border security, and fixes our visa backlog.” - Rep. Mike Levin
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