Congressional Dems Protect Migrant Sex Criminals

Written by David E. Smith

“Nothing shocks me anymore” is a phrase Christian conservatives find themselves saying with evermore frequency these days, often with a deep sigh. Yet you’ll probably be astounded to learn that Illinois Congressional Democrats voted against the Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act (HR 7909) this week.

Joining most of their fellow Democrats in the U.S. House, they voted “no.” The title of a Fox News report highlights the disgrace: “158 Dems vote against bill to deport illegal immigrants who commit sex crimes.”

Virtually every Democratic Congressional member from our state voted against HR 7909, including:

Only U.S. Representatives Nikki Budzinski (D-13) and Eric Sorensen (D-17) voted “yea,” along with our three Republican Congressmembers.

It is important to note that both Budzinski and Sorensen are in very tight campaigns for re-election. Budzinski is being challenged by Joshua Loyd, a West Point graduate and veteran from Virden. Sorensen is facing challenger Joe McGraw, a retired federal judge from Rockford.

Introduced by U.S. Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC), HR 7909 mandates the deportation of undocumented immigrants convicted of sexual offenses, including crimes related to rape, stalking, spousal abuse, and child abuse from entering or remaining in the U.S.

Advocates, including some Democrats who supported the bill, argued it was crucial for public safety, particularly for women and children, emphasizing the need to protect against crimes committed by undocumented immigrants who are sex offenders.

Yet there were those who publicly opposed the bill. The National Pulse reports that

Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, denounced the Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC)-sponsored legislation as “another partisan bill that fearmongers about immigrants instead of working together to fix the immigration system.”

Critics cited concerns over how the legislation might be perceived or its implications on broader immigration policy. They argued that such laws could be seen as xenophobic or overly punitive, potentially affecting community relations and the wider legal and undocumented immigrant communities.

IFI Cultural Writer Thomas Hampson points out:

The vote to deport illegal aliens who commit sex crimes should have been unanimous. What is the reason NOT to deport them? The bill also contains provisions to exclude from entry anyone who admits or was convicted of a sex crime or domestic violence. Some of those who voted against the bill claimed their opposition to those exclusion provisions were the reasons they voted against it. Does that mean they want to allow people prone to domestic violence or sex crimes to be part of our community? Do they want more than we already have?

Immigration to this country is a privilege not a right. Our elected Representatives should ensure that those we grant the privilege to enter or stay should not be violent, convicted criminals or sex offenders. Failing to do that makes them accomplices in the crimes these illegals commit.

It is disheartening to realize that this common sense thinking is not in Washington D.C.

The bill passed with 215 Republicans and a minority of 51 Democrats voting in favor. However, it cannot be stated too many times — over three times as many Democratic lawmakers voted against it. This is reprehensible.

Whether it will even get a hearing in the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate is doubtful.