Republicans Draft Immigration Proposals

House Republicans may be teeing up early floor votes on an issue that the GOP aggressively emphasized during the 2024 campaign by including five immigration-related bills in their opening batch of rules for the 119th Congress. The proposals seem to be copies of laws that were enacted by the House in the 118th Congress but were blocked by the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats. In line with President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign pledges to crack down on local governments that refuse to assist immigration authorities in the removal of unauthorized migrants, sanctuary cities are among the targets. If accepted, the rules package would pave the way for a possible floor vote on legislation that would stop federal funding for “sanctuary cities” if they plan to use it to help undocumented immigrants.

The regulations package would also include other immigration-related provisions that would prepare votes for legislation requiring the secretary of homeland security to detain foreign nationals accused of stealing in the United States. Change the Immigration and Nationality Act to make it clear that immigrants who have engaged in domestic abuse or sex offenses are not eligible to enter the country and will be deported. Make it a deportable offense to assault a law enforcement official. Intentionally escaping a pursuing federal officer while driving a motor vehicle carries criminal and immigration repercussions.