Fox News
158 Dems vote against bill to deport illegal immigrants who commit sex crimes
Rep. Nancy Mace introduced the Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act earlier this year
By Elizabeth Elkind Fox News
Published September 18, 2024 6:38pm EDT
More than 150 House Democrats voted against a bill that would deport illegal immigrants convicted of a sexual offense or conspiracy to commit such a crime.
The Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act passed the House of Representatives along bipartisan lines on Wednesday. All present Republicans voted for the bill, as did 51 Democratic lawmakers. The measure passed 266 to 158.
Among the Democrats who voted for the bill are Reps. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska; Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez, D-Wash.; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; and Hillary Scholten, D-Mich.
Two of the Democrats who voted for it are seeking higher office — Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is running for Senate, and Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., is running for governor.
In addition to deporting migrants convicted of sex crimes, the legislation would also deem illegal immigrants who admit to domestic violence or sex-related charges — or are convicted of them — to be inadmissible in the U.S.
It’s part of a wider legislative push by the House GOP to spotlight issues stemming from the border crisis, which has for months affected cities and states across the country.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital hours before the vote that she "100%" anticipated Democrats voting against her bill.
"If you vote against it, you're sexist against women," Mace declared.
"I mean, truly, because we're talking about illegals who are here who are committing domestic violence, rape and murder on women and children — they’ve gotta go. They shouldn't be allowed into our country."
Democrats have panned the bill as xenophobic, however.
"Here we are again, debating another partisan bill that fear mongers about immigrants, instead of working together to fix the immigration system," Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said during debate on the bill.
"I probably shouldn't be too surprised. Scapegoating immigrants and attempting to weaponize the crime of domestic violence is appearing to be a time-honored tradition for Republicans."
Despite the wider pushback, however, GOP efforts to highlight the border crisis have gotten modest Democratic support.
House Republicans previously passed a bill to detain and deport migrants convicted of assaulting law enforcement with the help of 54 Democrats — while 148 lawmakers voted against the measure.
Meanwhile, the GOP-backed Laken Riley Act, named after an Augusta University nursing student who was allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant, netted support from 37 House Democrats.
Update:
Fox News
145 House Dems vote against bill to deport migrants who commit sexual assault
158 Democrats voted against the bill last year
By Elizabeth Elkind Fox News
Published January 16, 2025 11:04am EST
More than 140 Democrats voted against a House bill to deport illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes on Thursday.
The legislation passed along bipartisan lines in a 274 to 145 vote. All present Republicans supported the bill, while the opposition was all made up of Democratic lawmakers.
The bill was first introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., in the 118th Congress but was not taken up by the formerly Democrat-controlled Senate. At the time, 158 Democrats voted against the bill.
"Our country has been ravaged by a horror of illegal immigrants…violently raping American women and girls," Mace said during debate on the bill. "I know the lifelong scars, the irreversible scars, these heinous crimes leave behind."
Elon Musk has notably been among the bill’s most ardent supporters, even calling for lawmakers who voted against it to lose their House seats.
"There is no excuse. Please post the list of people who opposed this law and want to keep illegals who are convicted sex offenders in America," Musk wrote on X in response to a conservative influencer discussing the bill. "They all need to be voted out of office. Every one of them."
In addition to deporting immigrants convicted of sex crimes, the legislation would also deem illegal immigrants who admit to domestic violence or sex-related charges — or are convicted of them — to be inadmissible in the U.S.
However, Democrats argued the bill would harm domestic abuse victims who fight back against their partners and broaden the definition of domestic violence to the detriment of survivors.
During debate on the bill Thursday morning, progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said the bill "does absolutely nothing to address the needs of the American people" and "widens the highway to Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans."
Jayapal said it would "create a chilling effect for reporting future crimes" and "empower abusers to go after immigrant women and children."
Mace wrote on X during debate on the bill, "The Left justifying why they are against deporting r*pists, p*deophiles, and m*rderers who are here ILLEGALLY, never ceases to amaze me."
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the No. 3 House Republican, also criticized Democrats who voted against the bill.
"House Democrats' votes against H.R. 30 should be seen for what they are: Prioritizing criminal illegal immigrants over the safety and well-being of their constituents. It's unconscionable that we have to pass legislation like this, much less have members oppose it," Emmer told Fox News Digital.
Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, one of the Republicans who voted for the bill, argued the Biden administration’s border policies made the bill necessary and said the legislation would "ensure that any illegal immigrant who commits a sex crime or domestic violence offense is swiftly detained and deported."
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