Washington President-elect Donald Trump has frequently linked the Biden administration’s immigration policy to the murder of a Georgia nursing student, and the U.S. House enacted its first bill of the 119th Congress on Tuesday, increasing migrant detention.
As promised, we’re starting today with border security, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated at a press conference on Tuesday.
“We have a lot to do there to fix it,” the Louisiana Republican stated, adding that if you polled the people and voters, they would tell you that was the top priority. The events of the past four years have resulted in a complete catastrophe, and the Laken Riley Act is largely to blame.
When Riley, 22, failed to return home from a run, her roommates grew worried. Last month, a 26-year-old Venezuelan immigrant named Jose Antonio Ibarra was found guilty of her murder. U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement claims that Ibarra entered the country unlawfully in 2022.
H.R. 29 was approved by 264-159 votes, with 48 Democrats voting with Republicans. Last Congress, the bill likewise passed the House on a bipartisan basis, with 37 Democrats voting alongside the Republican Party.
When then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, failed to bring it to the Senate floor for a vote, it stopped.
That is probably going to change now. The bill may be introduced this week by Republicans, who now hold a majority in the Senate. The primary sponsor of the companion to the House bill, S. 5, in that chamber is Senator Katie Britt of Alabama.
With Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman’s endorsement, the Senate version has already garnered bipartisan support.
Additionally, if the bill is put to a vote in the Senate, Democratic Senator Gary Peters of Michigan stated that he would back it.
In an interview with States Newsroom, he stated that we must make sure that we are doing everything within our power to safeguard the border and ensure the safety of our citizens.
The plan is probably going to be signed into law when Trump takes office on January 20 if it passes the Senate with 60 votes. However, it’s unclear how many Democrats will support it in addition to Republicans.
The guy found guilty of Riley’s murder, Ibarra, had been arrested for theft and operating a scooter without a license. According to the law, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security would have to hold all foreign nationals, even those with legal status, who are accused of shoplifting, burglary, or local theft.
Additionally, it would enable a state’s attorney general to file civil cases against the federal government for violating a detention or removal procedure that causes harm to the state or its citizens.
The bill’s sponsor, Representative Mike Collins, comes from the district where Riley’s family resides.
The Georgia Republican said on Tuesday that this law might have saved her life. We must ensure that this does not occur again.
Collins read a statement from the Riley family during the discussion, stating that they were in favor of the measure.
Collins read from the statement that on January 10th, Laken would have turned 23. To carry on her legacy by saving lives with this bill is the best present we could give her and our nation.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, opposed the bill, claiming that if it were to pass into law, it would call into question due process since it would mandate immigration detention based on an arrest or charge.
Raskin stated during the debate on Tuesday that their bill today is a pointless and opportunistic measure.
By requiring that every undocumented immigrant apprehended for theft, larceny, or shoplifting be imprisoned even if they are never found guilty or even charged with a crime, this law would overturn 28 years of mandatory immigration detention policy.
The plan does not address the U.S. immigration system, according to Congressional Progressive Caucus chair and Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington.
She claimed that in the process, it unjustly takes many more innocent lives without following the proper procedures.
This report was aided by Jennifer Shutt.
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