Stop Illegal Entry Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. KENNEDY of Utah. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of Representative Bice's Stop Illegal Entry Act of 2025, and I applaud my colleague, Mr. Knott, for his role in this important piece of legislation.

For too long, open-border policies have left American families at risk. Under the Biden administration, the vast majority of those charged with illegal reentry already had criminal records. In Utah, we have seen the consequences firsthand.

This July in Salt Lake County, a 43-year-old Mexican national was sentenced for drug trafficking and illegal reentry. He had been deported three times before. When he was arrested, he carried an illegal firearm and more than 9,000 fentanyl pills.

In May, ICE officers in Utah apprehended and removed an illegal immigrant from Guatemala who was facing charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14, after previously being caught and removed twice before.

In January, a 24-year-old Mexican national was charged with the murder of his girlfriend in Utah just one week after being deported for the second time.

These are not isolated cases. They are just a few recent examples from my home State, and there are countless more heartbreaking stories from across the country.

It is clear that the current penalties are not enough to deter this dangerous cycle of illegal reentry. The safety and security of our citizens must never be compromised by those who abuse our system and exploit our borders.

H.R. 3486 protects American families, upholds the rule of law, and keeps our Nation secure by setting real penalties for those who seek to enter our great Nation illegally to commit crimes. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation.

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