The House just slapped sanctuary cities with a double whammy, passing two bills that tighten the screws on jurisdictions shielding unauthorized migrants. On Thursday, lawmakers voted to yank Small Business Administration services from these areas, followed by a Friday bill banning SBA loans for those in the U.S. illegally, as Fox News reports. It’s a bold move, and even some Democrats crossed the aisle to back it.
The votes signal a growing frustration with policies that prioritize unauthorized migrants over law-abiding citizens. The House passed the first bill 211-199, with five Democrats -- Reps. Henry Cuellar, Laura Gillen, Don Davis, Jared Golden, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez -- breaking ranks to support it. House Democrat leaders pushed hard against it, but their pleas fell flat.
Introduced by Rep. Brad Finstad, the Thursday bill forces SBA offices to pack up and leave any publicly designated sanctuary jurisdiction. This isn’t just a symbolic jab -- it’s a practical gut punch to cities that flout federal immigration law. The message is clear: no federal goodies for those who harbor lawbreakers.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer crowed that Republicans are “holding these cities accountable” for dodging immigration law. His glee is understandable, but the real story is the Democrats who jumped ship. Their votes expose a crack in the progressive armor, showing not everyone buys the open-borders mantra.
“Lawlessness that endangers the American people” won’t be rewarded, Emmer added, tying the bills to a broader push for order under a Trump-led agenda. His rhetoric is fiery, but it lands because illegal immigration remains a political landmine. Voters punished soft-on-crime policies last year, and these bills ride that wave.
The Friday bill, spearheaded by Rep. Beth Van Duyne, took aim at SBA loans for unauthorized migrants. Eight Democrats -- Perez, Cuellar, Gillen, Davis, Tom Suozzi, Josh Harder, Marcy Kaptur, and Kristen McDonald Rivet -- backed this one, doubling down on the bipartisan rebellion. Democratic leaders stayed mum, perhaps sensing the shifting tide.
The Friday vote was a quieter affair, but its implications are loud. Banning SBA loans for those here illegally shuts a loophole that’s long irked conservatives. It’s a small but pointed step toward prioritizing American citizens over those who skirt the law.
The Democrat defectors, especially repeat voters like Cuellar and Perez, deserve scrutiny. Their districts likely feel the heat from constituents fed up with sanctuary city fallout -- crime, strained resources, you name it. These lawmakers aren’t just crossing the aisle; they’re reading the room.
Contrast that with House Democrat leaders, who tried to rally opposition to Thursday’s bill but couldn’t stop the bleed. Their silence on Friday’s vote suggests they’re picking battles more carefully. It’s a rare moment when pragmatism trumps progressive posturing.
The SBA service withdrawal is particularly stinging for sanctuary jurisdictions. Regional, district, and local offices will have to relocate, disrupting business as usual. Cities that thought they could thumb their noses at federal law are now staring down real consequences.
Illegal immigration’s political potency can’t be overstated. It fueled Republican wins across the board last year, and these bills keep that momentum rolling. The bipartisan support only amplifies the signal: voters want action, not excuses.
Emmer’s claim that sanctuary cities “prioritize illegal aliens” is a bit of red meat for the base, but it’s grounded in a truth many Americans feel. When cities shield unauthorized migrants, they’re picking a side -- and it’s not the one most taxpayers support. These bills call that bluff.
The Democrats who backed these bills aren’t just outliers; they’re harbingers of a shift. Supporting measures that curb sanctuary city policies takes guts in today’s polarized climate. Their votes suggest the progressive grip on immigration rhetoric is slipping.
Finstad and Van Duyne, the bills’ architects, deserve credit for forcing the issue. They’ve tapped into a vein of voter frustration that transcends party lines. Sanctuary cities, once a progressive badge of honor, are now a liability even some Democrats can’t ignore.
These bills aren’t a cure-all, but they’re a start. They send a message that federal resources won’t prop up jurisdictions that defy the law. With bipartisan backing, the House just proved the anti-sanctuary fight has more legs than the woke crowd wants to admit.
