EXCLUSIVE — A new bill from House Republicans would prevent people convicted of crimes from receiving asylum, the latest piece of legislation targeting immigration and the influx at the southern border.
The No Asylum For Criminals Act of 2025, introduced by freshman Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) and shared exclusively with the Washington Examiner, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act so that an immigrant convicted of a felony or misdemeanor could not be granted asylum.
Harris’s bill follows a slew of others that have been reintroduced and passed by the House targeting illegal immigration, such as the Laken Riley Act and Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act.
The Republican freshman said in a statement that his bill would “end the abuse of our asylum laws and restore integrity of our immigration system.”
“Asylum should be reserved for individuals who need it because of persecution — not granted to violent criminals,” Harris said. “After the Biden administration abused the law to intentionally let illegal aliens in our country, it’s clear we need to strengthen asylum law.”
“Allowing convicted felons to enter the U.S. not only risks the safety of American citizens, but it also risks the safety of other asylum-seekers and adds to the backlog of claims. … We must send a clear message: America is not a refuge for the world’s violent criminals,” Harris added.
Co-sponsors of Harris’s bill include Reps. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Randy Weber (R-TX), Barry Moore (R-AL), Marlin Stutzman (R-IL), Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Keith Self (R-TX), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), and Andy Ogles (R-TN). The Immigration Accountability Project is also backing the legislation.
Harris, like most Republican down-ballot candidates, leaned on President Donald Trump’s campaign focusing on border security during the 2024 election. Now that Republicans hold a trifecta, several bills focusing on immigration have been fast-tracked to the House floor so that they could be signed into law, particularly those that would codify Trump’s executive orders.
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Since Trump took office, the highest single-day total of arrests is 1,100. The president promised “millions and millions” of deportations during his Inauguration Day address.
Arrests do not always equal detentions or deportations. Of the more than 8,000 immigrants arrested in the first two weeks of the second Trump administration, 461 were released, per data from the White House.