More than 140 Democrats on Thursday voted against a House bill that would deport undocumented immigrants convicted of sex crimes.
The bill passed on a 274-145 vote along bipartisan lines. All Republicans present supported the bill, while all opponents were Democrats.
The bill was first introduced in the 118th Congress by Rep. Nancy Mace (R.S.C.), but was previously not taken up in the Democratic-controlled Senate. At the time, 158 Democratic members of Congress voted against the bill.
“Our country is being ravaged by the terror of illegal immigrants… who are violently raping American women and girls,” Mace said during the bill’s debate. “I know that these heinous crimes leave lifelong scars, irreparable scars.”
Elon Musk has been one of the bill’s most ardent supporters, even demanding that members of Congress who vote against it lose their seats in the House.
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Among the Democrats who voted against the bill was House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. (Getty Images)
“There is no excuse. Please post a list of people who oppose this law and want to keep illegal aliens convicted of sex crimes in the United States,” Musk said while discussing the bill. I wrote to X in response to a conservative influencer. “We need to vote them all out of office. All of them.”
In addition to deporting immigrants convicted of sex crimes, the bill would also bar undocumented immigrants who have admitted or been convicted of domestic violence or sex-related charges from entering the United States. It will be considered as
But Democrats argued the bill expands the definition of domestic violence to the detriment of domestic violence victims who fight back against their partners.
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Rep. Nancy Mace, R.S.C., first introduced the bill in the 118th Congress (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for the Congressional Integrity Project)
During debate on the bill Thursday morning, progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said the bill “does not address the needs of the American people in any way,” adding, “It’s a step toward Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan.” “It’s something that widens the path.”
Jayapal said this “creates a chilling effect on reporting future crimes” and “empowers abusers to target immigrant women and children.”
“I’m always amazed at how the left justifies why they oppose the deportation of rapists, molesters, and murderers who are here illegally,” Mace wrote of X during the bill’s deliberations.
Elon Musk supported the bill last year. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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House Minority Leader Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), the No. 3 Republican in the House, also criticized Democrats who voted against the bill.
“House Democrats’ vote against H.R. 30 should be seen for what it is: prioritizing illegal immigrants who are criminals over the safety and well-being of their constituents. We must pass a bill like this. It’s unconscionable, let alone for any member of Congress to oppose,” Emmer told Fox News Digital.
Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), one of the Republicans who voted for the bill, argued that the Biden administration’s border policies necessitated the bill, saying it was a “This will ensure the removal of illegal immigrants who have committed domestic violence crimes.” He was promptly detained and deported. ”
Elizabeth Elkind is a political reporter for FOX News Digital, where she leads coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines can be found on the Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow @liz_elkind on Twitter and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com.
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