A House resolution condemning a recent terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, and supporting federal immigration authorities sparked a sharp partisan divide on Monday, with more than half of House Democrats voting against the measure. The resolution, which ultimately passed 280-113, highlighted the immigration status of the suspect and was decried by Democratic leadership as a political stunt.
The GOP-backed resolution, introduced by freshman Republican Rep. Gabe Evans of Colorado, specifically condemned the antisemitic attack in Boulder and expressed gratitude for the work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in “protecting the homeland.”
It also urged the Trump administration to implement aggressive vetting of foreign nationals applying for visas.
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The move was prompted by the case of Mohamed Soliman, the suspect in the Boulder attack, who was in the United States illegally after overstaying a visa that expired in February 2023. Soliman is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at a peaceful pro-Israel demonstration.
While 75 Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the resolution, 113 voted against it. Six lawmakers, including five Democrats and one Republican, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, voted “present.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) quickly seized on the division, with spokesperson Mike Marinella stating, “House Democrats just sided with terrorists over cops and couldn’t even bring themselves to condemn antisemitism. They’re officially the antisemite and anti-cop caucus.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries lambasted the resolution for conflating the condemnation of antisemitism with contentious immigration policies. Speaking to reporters, Jeffries launched a personal attack on the resolution’s sponsor.
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“Who is this guy?” Jeffries said of Evans. “He’s not seriously concerned with combating antisemitism in America.” The Democratic leader called the resolution a “joke” and predicted its sponsor would be a “one-term member of Congress.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise defended his colleague, a former law enforcement officer and Army veteran. “Only radical Democrats would call it a joke to denounce antisemitic terrorism and express gratitude to law enforcement for detaining the terrorist here illegally who perpetrated the Boulder attack,” Scalise wrote on X.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer also weighed in, arguing that Democratic policies under the previous administration contributed to the security failure.
Later on Monday, the House unanimously passed a separate resolution, 400-0, that also condemned antisemitism and the Boulder attack but omitted the controversial language regarding immigration and ICE. This second resolution found broad bipartisan support, with no members opposing it.
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