House Republicans secured passage of two bills cracking down on sanctuary cities, a move that gained bipartisan support, indicating the continued political significance of illegal immigration. These measures aimed to relocate Small Business Administration (SBA) offices from jurisdictions designated as sheltering illegal immigrants and to prohibit undocumented immigrants from obtaining SBA loans. The first bill was passed on Thursday, with support from five Democrats, including Reps. Henry Cuellar, Laura Gill, Don Davis, Jared Golden, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. The second measure, which passed on Friday, added explicit language to ban undocumented individuals from accessing SBA loans and was backed by eight Democrats, including Reps. Tom Suozzi, Josh Harder, Marcy Kaptur, and Kristen McDonald Rivet.
Despite urging from House Democratic leaders to vote against the bills, the legislation passed with the backing of several Democrats, reflecting a rare moment of cross-party cooperation on immigration policy. The Trump administration praised these efforts, stating that the SBA was moving field offices out of ‘lawless jurisdictions’ to protect American citizens and small businesses. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler emphasized the Administration’s commitment to ending the ‘illegal invasion of our nation’ and called for bipartisan support for the measures. These actions underscore the persistent political relevance of immigration issues, which played a key role in Republicans’ recent electoral successes.
While the Democratic leadership did not provide explicit guidance on voting for the bills, the bipartisan support for the measures indicates a shift in the political discourse on immigration. The bills reflect a broader strategy to hold sanctuary cities accountable and ensure compliance with federal immigration laws, with implications for both legal and economic policies. The administration’s celebration of the bipartisan effort highlights the ongoing focus on addressing illegal immigration as a critical issue in American politics.