About 30 House Democrats voted Wednesday in favor of a bill that would deport undocumented immigrants who have committed sex crimes, signaling the party's shifting focus on the immigration crisis as the November election approaches.
The Republican-led bill passed 266-158, with 51 Democrats joining the Republicans.
Democrats have criticized the bill, accusing it of unfairly targeting undocumented immigrants and “weaponizing” the issue of domestic violence. A total of 158 Democrats voted against the bill.
But of the 31 left-leaning lawmakers up for reelection in battleground districts, only two — Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., and Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore. — voted against the bill, according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. But 29 Democrats voted against the bill.
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The House of Representatives passed a bill to deport immigrants convicted of sex crimes. (Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Hoyle and Soto's offices about their opposition to the bill but did not immediately receive a response.
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) voted against the bill on Wednesday night, but his office told Fox News Digital that was a mistake. “Rep. Landsman intends to vote in favor of HR 7909 and has already entered that into the Congressional Record,” his office said.
Hoyle and Soto are both in districts classified as likely Democrats, but an upset is possible. Soto's district is rated an 8-point Democratic advantage, while Hoyle's is a 4-point advantage. Landsman is rated D+2, making it the closest race.
But the significant number of Democrats who supported the bill is a striking sign that the party has undergone a major shift in its focus on border security.
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Democratic House members Darren Soto (left) and Val Hoyle (right), two of whom are vulnerable to the Democratic Party's smear campaign, voted against a Republican bill that would have deported immigrants convicted of sex crimes. (Getty Images)
Moderate Democrats and those at risk of losing their seats are rushing to push for a bipartisan response to address the migration crisis that has reached states and cities far beyond the U.S.-Mexico border.
The bill would not only deport immigrants convicted of sex crimes, but would also bar illegal immigrants who plead guilty to or have been convicted of domestic violence or sex-related offenses from entering the United States.
The campaign was led by Nancy Mace MP (Royal Society of Scotland), who was herself a rape survivor.
It's part of a broader legislative effort by House Republicans to shine a light on issues stemming from the border crisis.
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Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal criticized the bill on the House floor. (Getty Images)
Among the Democrats who have voiced opposition to the bill is Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
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“We are once again debating a partisan bill that stokes fear about immigrants instead of working together to improve our immigration system,” Jayapal said during debate on the bill.
“Perhaps this isn't all that surprising. Scapegoating immigrants and weaponizing the crime of domestic violence seems to be a time-honored Republican tradition.”
