The Senate will consider amendments to the Laken Riley Act Monday, Jan. 13, a bill Republicans hope will be a first step in overhauling United States immigration law. The bill would require immigrants to be held in detention if they are arrested or convicted of a burglary, theft or shoplifting offense.
Even if the criminal case is adjudicated, the individual would remain in custody while their immigration case proceeds.
The House passed the Laken Riley Act on a bipartisan basis on Tuesday, Jan. 7, after 48 Democrats voted yea, bucking party leadership.
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Senate Democrats also supported the legislation during an initial vote so they could propose amendments later in the process. They hope to make multiple changes to the bill, including removing a measure that will allow states to sue the federal government if they believe it is not properly enforcing the law.
“I don’t think we want the entire immigration system being litigated in district courts all across the country,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told reporters, according to CNN.
Laken Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an immigrant in the country illegally. She was attacked while going for a run.
Her attacker, a Venezuelan man, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. He had previously been arrested on shoplifting charges and released.
“Right now ICE is unable to detain and deport these illegal criminals who commit these minor level crimes. But the Laken Riley Act will fix this,” Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., said.
House Democratic leadership opposed the Laken Riley Act, and told their members to vote against it.
They objected to the bill applying to immigrants who are protected from deportation, like DACA recipients, and that it only requires an arrest for detainment, not a conviction.
“This bill does nothing to fix the immigration system or to prevent future tragedies like this,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said. “It is simply an attempt to score cheap political points off of a tragic death. And in the process it unfairly sweeps up many more innocent lives with no due process.”
Republicans tried to pass this bill last year but it never went beyond the House.
