Fedorchak votes for increased border security, crack down on illegal entry
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) today voted in favor of H.R. 3486, the Stop Illegal Entry Act. Introduced by Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and passed by bipartisan a vote of 226-197, this legislation will impose tougher penalties on migrants who illegally enter or reenter the United States.
“North Dakotans know that a nation without secure borders is a nation at risk. For too long, President Biden encouraged chaos at our southern border. His administration’s refusal to act led to a record number of illegal immigrants, including human traffickers and terrorists, entering our country,” Fedorchak said. “Thankfully, President Trump has restored order at the border by enforcing the laws already on the books. Today’s action builds on this success by strengthening existing law, helping make sure illegal migrants think twice before breaking America’s laws.”
Background:
Under the Biden administration’s open-border policies, at least 10 million unvetted illegal immigrants entered the U.S. from more than 160 countries—including adversaries and state sponsors of terrorism. One of the most alarming consequences is the explosion of human trafficking and migrant child exploitation.
Human traffickers increasingly used the border crisis to their advantage. According to a March 2025 report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Biden administration ignored or dismissed over 65,000 reports regarding migrant children, including over 7,300 reports of human trafficking.
Meanwhile, prosecutions of illegal entry cases plummeted to fewer than 1,000 per month between January 2021 and January 2024. In FY2023, more than 70 percent of those charged with illegal reentry had criminal records. Together, these policies fueled a criminal network of human traffickers who profited from the lax border security of the previous administration.
The Stop Illegal Entry Act strengthens penalties for migrants who repeatedly break U.S. immigration law by:
Establishing mandatory minimum sentences (5 years for illegal entry followed by a felony conviction and 10 years for felony offenders who reenter).
Authorizing life sentences for the most serious repeat offenders.
Increasing penalties for repeated improper entry, raising the maximum from 2 to 5 years, and from 2 to 10 years for reentry after removal.
Imposing enhanced penalties of up to 15 years on offenders with multiple prior misdemeanors or felony convictions.
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