The Senate on Monday passed the contentious Laken Riley Act in a 64-35 vote. The bill would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain and potentially deport undocumented immigrants arrested for — but not necessarily convicted of — various crimes, including shoplifting, burglary and theft.
Twelve Democrats voted to pass the bill, moving congressional Republicans one step closer to delivering President Donald Trump his first legislative win as his newly minted administration rolls out its immigration crackdown. The legislation will now return to the House for a final vote.
According to the Senate vote summary, Democrats who voted to pass the bill include co-sponsors Sens. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania as well as Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.; Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.; Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.; Jon Ossof, D-Ga.; Gary Peters, D-Mich.; Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.; Mark Warner, D-Va.; and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.
Democratic critics of the act voiced frustration over what they viewed as their Democratic colleagues pushing to pass the bill in order to protect themselves from political vulnerability, according to The Hill.
Some Senators placed blame on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., giving those vulnerable colleagues license to advance the bill without a guarantee that Democrats would have a greater chance to amend the bill. Its handling, one anonymous Democratic senator told the outlet, seeded deep frustration among the caucus as the Senate Democratic Conference still reels from the loss of its majority.
“There is huge concern because we’re talking about the mandatory imprisonment based on an accusation without a person even being charged, let alone being convicted, and this applies to kids,” the senator told The Hill, lamenting that the bill didn't go to committee. “It’s a sweeping assault on core principles, and it doesn’t even have a judicial review component.”
Before passing the bill Monday evening, Senators also voted 75-24 to amend it to include crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury to the list of offenses that would require mandatory detention — a proposal submitted by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. Twenty-two Democrats joined Republicans in agreeing to the amendment.
The act, named after a Georgia college student who was murdered by a Venezuelan immigrant who had previously been arrested for shoplifting, also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over immigration decisions and block visas being issued to citizens of certain countries. It first passed the House earlier this month with backing from 48 Democrats.
Critics argue that, if enacted, the legislation will further empower Trump to carry out his mass deportation plan at a significant cost and deny undocumented immigrants their right to due process.
Because it was amended, the bill must be passed again by the Republican-led House before being sent to the White House and becoming law.
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