In the news release, Moran said Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the man accused in the recent Boulder, Colorado, attack, is one of the people who overstayed his visa.
WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — U.S. Congressman Nathaniel Moran has teamed up with a fellow representative to reintroduce the Visa Overstays Penalties Act, saying it would close “dangerous immigration loopholes” and hold those who misuse the entry system.
Moran is co-leading the effort with Congressman Randy Fine (R-FL) to bring back at the act that was originally included in the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a 219-213 vote last Congress.
“East Texans understand that illegal immigration doesn’t stop at the border,” Moran said. “Thousands have entered the U.S. legally, only to overstay their visas and remain here unlawfully. This bill reclassifies visa overstays as ‘illegal entry’ and imposes serious penalties to help restore law and order.”
In the news release, Moran said Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the man accused in the recent Boulder, Colorado, attack, is one of the people who overstayed his visa. The legislation would impose up to six months of jail time for first-time offenders and civil fines starting at $500, doubling with each violation.
“As we all know, the failed policies of the former Biden-Harris Administration turned every state into a border state,” Moran said. “We cannot allow that era of lawlessness to ever return. We must build on President Trump’s historic momentum to secure and protect our border. Visa overstays must carry real consequences—and this legislation delivers on restoring peace and justice.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Soliman, his wife and five children came to America in 2022, but he overstayed his visa beginning in February 2023.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), chairman of the Republican Study Committee, said Soliman never should’ve been in the U.S.
“This man should have never even been in our country—and yet he was, because the Biden Administration refused to enforce our laws. I’m thankful to Congressman Moran for his leadership in reintroducing the Visa Overstays Penalties Act, which will criminalize the act of overstaying a visa and guarantee that terrorists like Soliman are never again able to illegally remain in our country,” Pfluger said.
WHAT WOULD IT DO?
If it became law, the Visa Overstays Penalties Act would reclassify overstaying a visa for more than 10 days as “illegal entry,” becoming similar to unauthorized border crossings. The first offense would led to up to six months of imprisonment, while further offenses could lead to up to two years of imprisonment.
The first violation could face fines ranging from $500 to $1,000, and repeat violations would lead to doubling from the initial amount.
Moran’s statement read that the legislation seeks to make sure visa overstays are met with the necessary legal consequences to reinforce the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.