Democrats joined Republicans this week to pass two bills targeting sanctuary cities and illegal immigrant access to federal resources. While the votes were bipartisan, they reveal more about political survival than genuine change in party principles.
Key Facts:
- The House passed two GOP-led bills targeting sanctuary cities and SBA loan eligibility for illegal immigrants.
- The first bill mandates SBA offices to relocate out of sanctuary jurisdictions; it passed 211–199.
- Five Democrats—Cuellar, Gillen, Davis, Golden, and Gluesenkamp Perez—voted with Republicans on the relocation bill.
- The second bill, banning illegal immigrants from receiving SBA loans, passed with support from eight Democrats.
- Democratic leadership opposed or remained silent on both bills; the Trump administration praised the outcome.
The Rest of The Story:
The first bill, introduced by Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minn., passed Thursday and would force Small Business Administration offices to move out of jurisdictions publicly identified as sanctuary cities.
It passed in a 211 to 199 vote, with five House Democrats joining Republicans: Reps. Henry Cuellar, Laura Gillen, Don Davis, Jared Golden, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
The second bill, introduced by Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, passed Friday and explicitly bans illegal immigrants from obtaining SBA loans.
It passed with the support of eight Democrats, including Cuellar, Gillen, Davis, Gluesenkamp Perez, Tom Suozzi, Josh Harder, Marcy Kaptur, and Kristen McDonald Rivet.
Today, a bi-partisan majority backed my bill to ensure Small Business Administration (SBA) dollars, loans, and programs are only available to American citizens and their businesses. I’m glad eight Democrats joined us to pass this common sense reform. https://t.co/r09sB0fmr4
— Beth Van Duyne (@Bethvanduyne) June 7, 2025
Democratic leaders reportedly urged opposition to the first bill but gave no guidance on the second.
SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said, “Sanctuary cities jeopardize both the lives of American citizens and the livelihoods of our small businesses.”
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said the bill holds sanctuary cities “accountable for their refusal to follow immigration law.”
Commentary:
The Democrats who voted for these bills didn’t suddenly become border hawks.
They’re simply reacting to voter pressure and the looming threat of losing their seats.
These are not deeply held beliefs or moral stands—they’re political calculations.
When your district flips red or your polling collapses, you vote to save yourself.
Almost all Democrats still favor open borders and population change through immigration.
They’ve championed sanctuary cities and downplayed the crime and costs that come with them.
Now that it’s election season and the public mood has shifted, a few are changing their tune—temporarily.
Don’t be fooled.
If Democrats regain full control, they’ll return to the same radical policies that created this crisis in the first place.
The Bottom Line:
These bipartisan votes show the strength of public demand for stricter immigration enforcement.
But the Democrats who supported these measures did so out of political necessity—not principle.
Voters should keep that in mind before assuming anything has truly changed.
Without continued pressure, Democrats will fall right back in line with the open borders agenda.
Read Next
– U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro Moves to Jail Woman Who Spit on Ed Martin For Violating Terms of Release
– White House Pushes Aggressive New Plan to Expel Illegal Immigrants