Sen. Jim Banks Introduces Bill to Criminalize Overstaying a Visa, Including Jail Time for Offenders

[mystery-ak]

Sen. Jim Banks Introduces Bill to Criminalize Overstaying a Visa, Including Jail Time for Offenders

John Binder 3 Jun 2025

Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) is introducing legislation to criminalize overstaying a visa in the wake of the Boulder, Colorado, terrorist attack where an Egyptian illegal alien, who overstayed his visa, is charged with trying to murder supporters of Israel.

On Tuesday, Banks introduced the “Visa Overstay Penalties Act” to have the federal government finally crack down on hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens who overstay their visas every year.

“The Boulder terrorist and 9/11 hijackers didn’t sneak in, they overstayed visas,” Banks said in a statement. “That’s just as serious and just as dangerous. My bill cracks down on visa overstays with criminal penalties to stop threats before they happen.”

Banks’s legislation would classify overstaying a visa as a criminal offense, akin to crossing United States borders illegally, and impose up to six months of jail time for first-time offenders and two years of jail time for repeat offenders.

In addition, under the bill, those who overstay their visas would have to pay civil fines as high as $1,000, which would double for repeat offenders. Banks said the bill would treat visa overstays as a national security threat.

Annually, anywhere from 550,000 to nearly 800,000 foreign nationals overstay their visas, making them illegal aliens in the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has long estimated that about half of the nation’s 11 to 22 million illegal alien population is from overstaying visas.

Last weekend, 45-year-old illegal alien Mohamed Sabry Soliman of Egypt allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to burn several Americans in Boulder who had gathered to support Israel and demand Hamas release hostages.

Soliman arrived in the U.S. via LAX in Los Angeles, California, on a tourist visa in August 2022. The visa expired in February 2023, but Soliman never departed the U.S. as required by federal law, making him an illegal alien.

Even after his visa had expired, former President Joe Biden’s administration approved a work permit for him to hold an American job in March 2023. That work permit expired in March of this year.

Soliman sought to enter the U.S. 20 years ago but was denied a visa.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/06/03/sen-jim-banks-introduces-bill-to-criminalize-overstaying-a-visa-including-jail-time-for-offenders/

[mystery-ak]

The horse is out of the barn, Jim. 

[jafo2010]

I doubt it gets out of committee.

[Sighlass]

Is it already not against the law... and what is the pittance of $1k.... $1k per day has teeth, $1k total is a joke and will be ignored as a deterrence. $50k fine on those employing them if it can be proven they ignored warning signs that they hired illegals.

[jafo2010]

The 1st US House of Representatives had 65 members.  Presently, we have 435 members in the US House of Representatives.

I SAY THERE ARE TOO MANY COOKS IN THE KITCHEN, WHICH HAS CRIPPLED THE CONGRESS FROM FUNCTIONING.  I SAY CUT THE NUMBERS IN HALF, PARTICULARLY CONSIDERING ON AVERAGE EACH MEMBER OF CONGRESS HAS 60 STAFF.

                                        535    X     60      =      32,100 STAFF FOR 535 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

Why 2 senators per state?  I say cut it 50%!

Why 435 members of the House?   I say cut it to 250 members, and keep it to that.  Rather than adding members as the population increases, increase the number of electorate per member of the House.  And end counting illegal invading aliens in the numbers, which adds 10 Democommies to the numbers.

Considering what Congress is producing, which is next to nothing, why do they need 32,000 staff?   WHY?  Talk about waste of taxpayer dollars!!!!!!

1st US House   65 members     each representing 57,169

Current US House members    435 members     each representing 747,000


Again, I say:


                       1 senator per state

                       1 US House member for 1.3 million in population.  That takes the number to 250 members of the House

If we want to talk about saving money and returning functionality to the Congress, I say cut, cut, cut!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bigun]

I've had the good fortune to have lived and worked in several foreign countries, and will assure you that no one overstays a visa in any of those countries. If they can do it so can we.

[GtHawk]

Is it already not against the law... and what is the pittance of $1k.... $1k per day has teeth, $1k total is a joke and will be ignored as a deterrence. $50k fine on those employing them if it can be proven they ignored warning signs that they hired illegals.

Let me know hen they start enforcing I-9 violations against employers.

[DefiantMassRINO]

1.) Making visa overstay a criminal offense that gets someone permanently banned from ever entering the US again.

2.) Asylum must be applied for and adjudicated outside the United States.

3.) Withold Federal funds from states that issue drivers licenses to persons who are in the country illegally, including those who overstay visas.

4.) Require states to expire drivers licenses for visa holders on the day their visa expires, or withold Federal funds.

We can use liberal Dem states' addiction to spending against them by wielding the full wrath and fury of the Federal Power of the Purse.