29 Democrats vote against their party on bill tightening immigration laws

On Wednesday, nearly 30 House Democrats supported a bill to remove illegal immigrants who commit sexual offenses, indicating a change in the party's emphasis on the migrant crisis as the November elections approach.

The GOP-backed bill was approved by 266 votes to 158, with 51 Democrats supporting the Republicans.

The bill has been criticized by Democrats for unfairly targeting illegal immigrants and "weaponizing" the issue of domestic violence. A total of 158 Democrats voted against the bill.

Out of the 31 left-wing lawmakers running for re-election in competitive seats, only two Democrats, Darren Soto and Val Hoyle, voted against the bill. Meanwhile, 29 vulnerable Democrats crossed the aisle on the measure.

Hoyle and Soto's offices were contacted by Planet Chronicle Digital regarding their opposition to the bill, but no immediate response was received.

On Wednesday night, Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, mistakenly voted "no" on H.R.7909, but his office clarified that he actually intended to vote "yes" and has already submitted a statement to the Congressional Record confirming his support for the bill.

Both Hoyle and Soto are in seats that could be vulnerable to an upset, with Soto's seat being rated eight points in favor of Democrats and Hoyle's being rated four points in favor of Republicans. Landsman's seat is the closest to a toss-up, being rated "D+2."

The bill's significant number of vulnerable Democrats who supported it highlights the larger shift in focus the party has experienced on border security.

To address the migrant crisis that has affected states and cities beyond the U.S.-Mexico border, moderate Democrats and those at risk of losing their seats have called for bipartisan solutions.

The legislation would classify illegal immigrants who confess to domestic violence or sex-related offenses, or are convicted of them, as inadmissible to the U.S., in addition to deporting migrants convicted of sex crimes.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who is a survivor of rape, led the group.

The House GOP is highlighting problems resulting from the border crisis as part of a broader legislative initiative.

Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, spoke out against the bill among the Democrats.

During the debate on the bill, Jayapal stated, "Once again, we are discussing a partisan measure that spreads fear about immigrants, rather than collaborating to repair our immigration system."

"Republicans have a history of scapegoating immigrants and using domestic violence as a weapon, which shouldn't surprise me."