Rep. Brad Knott: “The Biden Border Crisis Cost Us a House”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republican Study Committee Member Brad Knott (NC-13) is calling out the true price tag of the Biden-Harris administration’s open border policies in a new op-ed in the Washington Examiner. The piece details how the Biden-Harris administration made home ownership ever more out of reach for hardworking American citizens by flooding already tight housing markets with millions of illegal aliens.
Rep. Knott explains how President Trump and congressional Republicans are working together to mitigate the lingering impacts of the previous administration’s open border policies and make the American Dream achievable once again.
In the piece, Rep. Knott writes, “The Biden-Harris administration’s open-border policies did not just create chaos at the southern border; they fueled an invasion that reached every American. It made our neighborhoods less safe, pushed public resources to a breaking point, and drove up the cost of living for hardworking Americans.”
He continues, “When hundreds of thousands of additional people need housing immediately, in markets already facing shortages, prices rise. With millions of illegal residents arriving, someone bears that cost, and unfortunately, it’s young American families waiting to buy their first home, seniors living on fixed incomes, and hardworking Americans struggling to pay rent. These are the tangible consequences of mass, illegal migration, and exactly what a sensible system would prevent.”
Rep. Knott concludes, “Fortunately, we have begun to see a different approach. Under President Donald Trump, we have seen historically low rates of illegal border crossings and record levels of drug apprehensions and deportations, proof that strong enforcement can deter illegal immigration and criminal activity. But restoring order after years of chaos at our borders will not happen overnight. House Republicans are working alongside Trump to codify his border security agenda.”
Read the full op-ed here.
Background: Rep. Knott introduced the Stop Illegal Entry Act alongside Rep. Stephanie Bice (OK-05) in May 2025. The legislation creates a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence for any illegal alien convicted of a felony after entering the U.S. and increases the maximum sentence for illegal reentry from two to five years. The bill also creates a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and authorizes a life sentence for individuals previously convicted of a felony before deportation or convicted of illegal reentry at least two times before removal, who then unlawfully reenter the United States.
The Stop Illegal Entry Act passed the House in September 2025 and is now awaiting consideration in the Senate. The Office of Management and Budget issued a Statement of Administration Policy indicating that President Trump will sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk.