During a debate on legislation imposing penalties for fleeing Border Patrol in a vehicle, Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-OR) on Thursday likened the bill to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

“I urge my colleagues to oppose HR 35. Let’s call this bill what it is, fear-mongering dressed up as officer safety,” Bynum said. “This bill echoes one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.”

Dem Rep. Janelle Bynum on the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act:

“This bill echoes one of the darkest chapters in our nation's history, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.”pic.twitter.com/qAici3YeOJ

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 13, 2025

She continued, “Today, just like that shameful law, HR 35 forces local authorities and encourages the deputizing of randos to do the federal government’s work, punishing them if they refuse. Back then, it was hunting down people who dared to seek freedom. Today, it’s forcing local police to become federal enforcers.”

The House passed HR 35, known as the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, on Thursday with a 264-155 vote. The bill imposes penalties for fleeing immigration enforcement within 100 miles of the U.S. border, with offenders facing up to two years in prison. If an officer is injured or killed due to a suspect fleeing, penalties range from a minimum of five years for injury to life in prison for a death.

The legislation is named after Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez, who died in a 2022 crash while pursuing illegal immigrants in Texas. A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).