Published: May 23, 2007 10:47 am      

Baron Hill smuggling bill sails through House

The U.S. House of Representatives passed alien smuggling legislation introduced by local Rep. Baron Hill Tuesday afternoon.

Hill’s bill — known as the Alien Smuggling and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 — seeks to help prosecutors and agents detain and sentence those illegally smuggling persons into the country. The bill raises such smuggling from a misdemeanor to a felony charge and sets a five-year base maximum for alien smuggling in prison.

“Law enforcement across the country has expressed their concerns that existing penalties for alien smuggling are insufficient and too complex to appropriately punish alien smugglers,” Hill said in a press release Tuesday. “This bill is a direct response to address such concerns while also enhancing our borders.”

The legislation passed by a 412-0 vote.