The House voted Friday to pass legislation barring noncitizens from receiving Small Business Administration loans in an attempt to codify the Trump administration’s guidelines.

The GOP-controlled chamber voted 217-190, with eight Democrats joining Republicans in voting for the bill. The American Entrepreneurs First Act of 2025 ensures that SBA funds will only be available to American citizens by requiring loan applicants to prove their citizenship.

“I’m grateful to the House lawmakers who voted today in support of the SBA’s efforts to implement citizenship and birth date verification,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler.

“Illegal aliens and fraudsters have no right to taxpayer-backed loans at the SBA. With these common-sense guardrails, the American Entrepreneurs First Act will help put our deserving job creators first.”

The Democrats who joined Republicans in supporting the legislation come from competitive seats where illegal immigration remains an important issue. Swing-seat Democratic Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.), Marcy Kaptur (Ohio), Tom Suozzi (N.Y.), Laura Gillen (N.Y.), and Don Davis (N.C.) were among the Democrats to vote for the legislation.

“By passing my American Entrepreneurs First Act, House Republicans have, once again, come together to support common sense reforms protecting America’s hard-earned tax dollars from being lost to waste, fraud, abuse, and theft by hostile foreign actors,” said Representative Beth Van Duyne (R., Texas), the lawmaker who introduced the bill.

In March, Loeffler instituted a new SBA rule to ensure loan applications include a citizenship verification provision to prevent illegal immigrants from getting the taxpayer funds. One example the agency highlighted was a $783,000 loan approval in June 2024 for a business with 49 percent of its ownership in the hands of an illegal alien. Under Loeffler, the SBA identified the alien’s illegal status and halted the loan disbursement.

The citizenship documentation rule rule was part of a suite of reforms Loeffler enacted at the agency to further President Trump’s immigration crackdown and prevent American taxpayers from subsidizing open borders.

Likewise, the American Entrepreneurs First Act represents the latest congressional GOP effort to advance Trump’s immigration agenda. It remains to be seen whether the GOP-controlled Senate will take up the bill.

“From ending taxpayer-subsidized open borders to restoring oversight capabilities at SBA, House Republicans continue to bring common sense back to government and refocus agencies on their core missions. We will keep passing the President’s executive orders and working in lockstep with this Administration to fulfill our commitment to the American people,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) said in a statement.

House Republicans passed two other SBA related bills this week enhancing the agency’s oversight capabilities and moving its offices out of sanctuary cities.