House approves stiffer penalties for illegals who re-enter US, commit felonies

House Republicans on Thursday passed legislation that would dramatically tick up penalties for foreign nationals who unlawfully enter the United States.

The House of Representatives voted 226 to 197 in favor of H.R. 3486, otherwise known as the Stop Illegal Entry Act of 2025. The bill — which boasts support from President Donald Trump and key border hawks — would increase jail time for migrants who decide to unlawfully re-enter the U.S. after deportation or exclusion, according to the legislation.

The legislation did garner bipartisan support, with 11 House Democrats voting in favor of the bill Thursday. No Republicans voted against it.

Oklahoma GOP Rep. Stephanie Bice, the sponsor of the Stop Illegal Entry Act, said the bill will help deter the possibility of a future border crisis, such as the one experienced under President Joe Biden.

“The Biden Administration let over 10 million illegal immigrants into the country and failed to prosecute those who defied U.S. immigration law,” Bice said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “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.”

“We must deter future illegal immigration and give our law enforcement and border patrol officers the tools they need to hold dangerous criminals accountable,” Bice continued. “This is why I was proud to see my colleagues vote to pass the Stop Illegal Entry Act.”

Under current law, unlawfully entering the U.S. — such as a foreign national crossing the border without inspection outside a port of entry — is a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to six months and prison or a fine, or both, according to the American Immigration Council. Illegal re-entry into the U.S. is a felony offense which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, with higher penalties for those previously removed and convicted of certain crimes.

Under H.R. 3486, a foreign national who illegally re-enters the U.S. would be subject to up to five years in prison, and that prison sentence would climb to five years to life if they illegally re-enter and commit a felony, according to the bill. Any alien that illegally re-enters the U.S. after being removed or denied entry would be subject to a prison sentence of up to ten years, and an alien who has been denied or deported three or more times and attempts to enter the U.S. again would be imprisoned for up to 15 years.

“With its stronger penalties for criminal aliens and illegal reentry, H.R. 3486 serves as a disincentive for migrants to enter the country illegally,” Chris Chmielenski, president of the Immigration Accountability Project, a group that advocates for stricter border policies, said to the DCNF. “We applaud the House for taking this step towards preventing future border surges.”

Support for the Stop Illegal Entry Act has reached the top levels of government power, with the Office of Budget Management signaling on Monday that Trump would sign the bill if it reaches his desk. The legislation now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it is being pushed by Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, a longtime border hawk.

Trump fomented record level drops in illegal immigration through a slate of executive actions and reforms he undertook since returning to the White House, such as declaring a national emergency at the border, strong-arming Mexico into deploying troops to the area and waging a large-scale deportation operation. In August, Border Patrol announced the third consecutive month of zero migrant releases, demonstrating how few are appearing unlawfully at the border.

Immigration hawks argue that legislative reform would better cement a border security apparatus, making a future border crisis under a different president all the less likely.

“Trump has delivered on his promise to secure the border, but we have more work to do to safeguard and protect our communities,” Bice stated to the DCNF. “This is another step in the right direction.”

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