04/01/2009 - Indiana Rep. Baron Hill’s smuggling bill passed again (Jeffersonville Evening News)

Indiana Rep. Baron Hill's smuggling bill passed again

By DANIEL SUDDEATH

An alien smuggling bill championed by Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind, was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday evening.

Labeled the Alien Smuggling and Terrorism Prevention Act, the measure actually passed the House last year, only to be turned down by the Senate. Hill pushed for it to be reconsidered by Congress, citing the need to aid federal prosecutors and agents who battle the smuggling trade.

"When I returned to Congress in 2006, I was quite frankly appalled to learn from law enforcement that the punishment for alien smuggling does not fit the crime," Hill stated in a news release following the vote.

"We need to pass this bill and move one step forward in really securing our borders."

The legislation would stiffen penalties for those convicted of alien smuggling, raising the crime from a misdemeanor to a felony. There would be a five-year base maximum prison term for most alien smugglers through the bill, and those terms could increase drastically if the smuggler exposes U.S. residents to high risk of injury or death, such as kidnapping or rape.

House Resolution 1029 received no opposition and was passed unanimously last year by the House.

"I am proud of this legislative victory," Hill said. "This bill is truly bipartisan, supported even by the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Lamar Smith."

Hill's colleague, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, acknowledged the Indiana representative's diligence for bringing the measure back for another vote.

"This is a legislative initiative that is long overdue," she said.

The House version now must pass the Senate and be signed by President Barack Obama before it becomes law. Hill said time is of the essence.

"More than 17,000 individuals were illegally trafficked into this country last year," he said. "This is a serious violation of our border laws. I believe this bill will not only prosecute offenders, but act as a deterrent for illegal alien smugglers, and therefore greatly cut down on illegal immigration."